mmf 


ft 


J 


.;^ 


'(/^ 


r^ 


PRESENTED  TO 

The  UNIVERSITY  of  CALIFORNIA 

BY 
EDMON])  L.  G00i;i). 


<\-> 


m^ 


«: 
^^^ 


IPS 


^ 
.^ 


.^ 


^     '^ 


'^^ 

^ 
^ 
^ 

^ 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/adventuresofgreaOOmeunrich 


ADVENTURES 


GREAT  HUNTING  GEOUNiS 

OF  THE  WORLD. 


By  VICTOE  MEUNIER. 


^fUuatratfU  toitf)  2rU)ent»4U)o  c2^cotJCut». 


NEW  YORK: 
CHARLES    SCRIBNER    &    CO. 

1870. 


Illustrated  f  ibrary.  of  Ifonders. 


PUBLISHED    BY 


St^mm<  ^krks  $mhmr  «^  (l[o., 

654  BROADWAY,  NP:W  YORK. 
Each  one  volume  12mo.  Trice  per  volume,  $1.50 


Titles  of  Books. 

Thunder  and  LionTNiNO,     . 

Wonders  of  Optics, 

Wonders  of  Heat, 

Intelligence  of  Animals, 

Gbeat  Hunts,     . 

Egypt  3,300  Years  Ago,     . 

Wonders  of  Pompeii, 

The  Sun,  by  A.  Guillemin, 

Sublime  in  Nature,     . 

Wonders  of  Glass-Making, 

Wonders  of  Italian  Art, 

Wonders  of  the  Human  Body, 

Wonders  of  Architecture, 

Lighthouses  and  Lightships, 

Bottom  of  the  Ocean, 

Wonders  of  Bodily  Strength  and 

Wonderful  Balloon  Ascents, 

Acoustics, 

Wonders  of  the  Heavens,    , 

The  Moon,  by  A.  Guillemin, 

Wonders  of  Sculpture, 

Wonders  of  Engraving, 

Wonders  of  Vegetation, 

Wonders  of  the  Invisible  World, 

Celebrated  Escapes, 

Water, 

Hydraulics, 

Electricity, 

Subterranean  World, 


Skill, 


Ko.  of  Illustrations. 


70 
90 
54 


40 
22 
58 
50 
63 
28 
45 
50 
60 
68 
70 
80 
114 
48 
60 
61 
82 
45 
97 
26 
77 
40 
71 
2T 


*  In  Press  for  early  Publication. 


The  above  works  sent  to  any  address,  post-paid^  upon  receipt  of  the  price  "by  the 
publishers. 


The  object  which  the  Compiler  has  had  in  view  in 
producing  the  following  work,  has  been  to  present  to 
the  young  reader  a  collection  of  well-authenticated 
facts,  illustrative  of  the  nature,  habits,  and  various 
modes  of  capturing  some  of  the  largest  and  fiercest 
of  the  <inimal  world,  and  to  describe  some  of  the 
numerous  adventures,  terrible  fights,  and  hairbreadth 
escapes  w^hich  the  hunting  of  these  animals  has  given 
rise 'to.  For  this  purpose  M.  Victor  Meunier  has 
availed  himself  of  the  writings  of  a  great  variety  of 
travellers  of  different  countries,  ancient  as  well  as 
modern ;  and  in  thus  bringing  together  their  varied 
and  often  conflicting  statements,  he  has  endeavoured, 
Vvithout  entering  into  minute  scientific  details,  to  bring 
them  into  harmony,  or  to  arrive  at  the  truth  on  dis- 
puted points. 

The  Translator,  notwithstanding  the  tempt atk)n 
which  an  almost  inexhaustible  field  presented  to 
him  of  adding  illustration  and  adventure,  has  con- 
fined himself,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  to  an 
almost  literal  translation  of  M.  Victor  Meunier' s  com- 


IV 

pilation.  To  the  chapters  on  Elephants  he  has 
appended  a  very  interesting  account  of  the  Duke 
of  Edinburgh's  Elephant  Hunt  in  South  Africa. 
This  account  he  has  ventured  to  give,  not  only 
because  it  records  the  latest,  but  perhaps  the  only 
hunt  of  the  kind  in  which  a  Royal  prince  of  England 
has  ever  been  engaged,  at  least  in  recent  times,  and 
not  the  less  so  on  account  of  the  real  pluck  and 
spirit,  characteristic  of  his  race,  which  the  adventure 
called  forth  in  him. 

In  the  chapter  on  Crocodiles  an  extract  is  also 
given  from  a  work  just  published  by  Don  Ramon 
Paej^,  entitled,  •*  Travels  and  Adventures  in  South 
and  Central  America,"  which  will  not  be  found  in 
the  original  French  work. 

E.  M. ' 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

The  Gorilla  : — 1.  Stories  of  Travellers. — 2.  Stories  of  the  negroes. 
— 3.  On  the  Hunting  Ground — More  Hunting  Stories. — 4.  Baby 
Gorillas— Capture  of  Young  Male— His  escape — Young  Female 
taken — Man  severely  bitten   .         .         .         .         .         .         .1-35 

CHAPTER  II. 
Bears  : — 1.  Grizzly  Bears — "William  Cannon  pursued — Kept  in  a 
Tree  all  Night  by  a  Grizzly — John  Day's  attack — Fight  in  a  Pit 
with  a  Grizzly. — 2.  The  Brown  Bear — Mode  of  Hunting  by  Russian 
Peasants — Horses  frightened  by  Bear-skins. — 3.  The  White  Bear — 
Sailor  seized  and  killed — The  Bear  attacked — Another  sailor 
seized  and  torn  to  pieces — The  Bear  killed — Another  Story        ,  3G-51 

CHAPTER  III. 
TnE  Tiger  : — The  Plaintive  Sigh. — 2.  A  Tigress  seizes  a  Hunter 
from  an  Elephant's  Back  ;  carries  him  into  the  Jungle — The  Tigress 
shot  by  the  Hunter  whilst  almost  Dead  in  her  Jaws — Another 
Hunt  of  a  Tigress  with  Elephants — A  Tiger  in  the  Fair  at  Hurdwar. 
— 4.  Another  Hunt — An  Indian  torn  to  pieces — Tiger  cubs — 
Another  Tiger  shot 52-66 

CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Lion  :~1.  The  Lion  of  South  Africa. — 2,  Lions  round  the 
Camp  Fires — A  Heifer  carried  off. — 3.  Bands  of  Lions  hunting 
together — Three  Lions  leaped  on  aBuffiilo — Buffalo  carried  off  by  a 
Lion — The  young  Lion's  respect  for  an  older  one — Thg  Lion  and 
the  Zebra. — 4.  Dr.  Livingstone  attacked  by  a  Lion. — 5.  A  Lion 
keeping  Guard  over  a  Man  for  Two  Nights  and  Three  Days — A 
Hottentot's  manoeuvre — A  Widow  killed — Two  Karainouquois 
frightfully  mangled. — 6*  A  family  of  Lions  attacked       .         .     67-99 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  V. 

PAGE 

The  Mufflon  : — Its  liaLits— Various  modes  of  Ilimiijjg*.        .  100-10-1 

CHAPTES  VI. 

TiiK  Musk  Ox: — Description  of  mode  of  Hunting — Ross  attacked 
by  a  Musk  Ox — Gluttony  of  the  Esquimaux  .         .         .  105-103 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Giuaffe  : — Le  Vaillant's  first  Giraffe — A  Hunt — Fight  with 
Dogs — Eaten  Ly  Natives — Skinning — PreiDaraticn  of  Skin  for  pre- 
serving— A  Lion's  fatal  leap  and  Giraffe's  escape  .         .         .  109-117 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Tapirs  :— Easily  tamed— Familiarity  of — Mode  of  Hunting — A  Swim 
for  Life— Fight  with  Dogs— Anecdotes        ....  118-125 

CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Hippopotamus  :—1.  An  unsuccessful  Hunt. — 2.  A  Nuli\c  Cut 
in  Two. — 3.  Mode  of  living. — 4.  A  Calf  captured. — 5.  A  Figbt 
between  two  Hiiipopotami. — G.  Mr.  Moffat  in  danger— A  Boat  upset 
— A  Man  dragged  from  a  Boat. — 7.  Hunt  with  Hook  and  Float 
— Du  Chaillu  shooting  Hippopotami — Le  Vaillant's  attack  on  a 
troop 126-143 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  Rhinoceros  : — A  Traitor  and  Aggi-essor — Mr.  Oswell  on  horse- 
hack  Tossed  in  the  Air — Various  modes  of  Hunting — Lo  Vaillant's 
attack  on  a  Male  and  Female — The  Female  killed  .         .         .  143-152 

CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Elephant  :— 1.  The  White  Elephant  an  object  of  veneration — 
Hunting  in  India. — 2.  Fifteen  individuals  killed  by  a  solitary — 
Courier  crushed — Two  Woodmen  killed. — 3.  A  Herd  of  about 
Seventy  siftro\inding  Camp  Fires. — 4.  Method  of  taking  in 
India. — 5.  Used  as  domestics  by  the  Siamese — Intelligence  of 
Elephant  firing  Howitzers  at  Lucknow. — 6.  Killing  Elephants — 
Anecdote 153-170 


^  CONTENTS.  VU 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Elephants  (continued):  — 7.  Hunting  in  Nubia. — 8.  Captain  Speke 
in  tlie  Oungoro. — 9.  Le  Yaillant  and  Du  Cliaillu  fallen  into  Pits — 
Mode  of  killing  in  the  Zambesi. — 10.  Livingstone's  dosciipti'on  of 
mode  of  attack. — 11.  Claas  Yolk  killed — Cobus  Klopper  killed — 
Kricger  throvv'n  into  the  Air  and  trampled  to  Death. — 12.  Cooper 
Rose— Journey  and  Hunt  with  a  veteran  Hunter  .         .         .   171--190 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Elepiiakts  {continued)  : — The  DuKe  of  Edinburgh's  Hunt  at  the 
Knysna      191-204 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  OstPvICH  : — 1.  Description  of. — 2.  Fables  and  absurdities  re- 
specting— 3.  Want  of  Sense  of  Taste — Copper  Candlestick  swallowed. 
4.  Habits. — 5.  Anecdotes— Extraordinary  Speed. — C.  Strength 
of. — 7.  Reputed  want  of  Intelligence — Attack  on  a  Horseman  by  a 
Male— Excessive  timidity— Sociability         ....  205-223 

CHAPTER  XV. 

The  OsTPvicn  {continued) : — 8.  The  period  of  laying — Violent 
character  of  the  Male  during  Incubation.  — 9.  The  two  Sexes  Build 
the  Ncit — Capturing  a  Female.  — 10.  Ostrich  Hunts — Various 
methods— Anecdotes 224-23G 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Crocodiles  and  Caymans  : — 1 .  The  Scene  and  the  Actoi's.  — 2.  Their 
dwellings. — 3.     Habits — Dr.    Livingstone   attacked — Picking  the 
Crocodile's  Teeth  by  a  Plover — A  Fight  with   Caricaris —Fight 
with  a  Jaguar 237-256 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Crocodiles  {continued)  :— 4.   The  question  as  to  their  Ferocity — 
Anecdotes — Fights  and  Adventures. —  5.  On  taming  Crocodiles. — 
6.  Differences  of  Opinions  reconciled — Anecdotes. — 7.  Anecdotes 
—Methods  of  Taking,  &c 257-297 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTIUTIONS. 


NO.  PAGE 

1.  "The  Animal  gave  nm  a  tremendous  Blow"          .         .  24 

2.  Hunters  followed  by  a  Bear 3G 

3.  "The  Fin  walks  straight  up  to  the  Encounter"   .         .  43 
i.  **IIe  hit  the  Bear  a  little  above  the  Eye"  ...  48 

5.  *'R despatched  her  with  a  Ball  behind  the  Ear"  .  57 

6.  **IIe  could  not  fire,  for  the  Man   and  the  Tiger  were 

so  entangled  " 61  . 

7.  The  Lion  op  South  Africa 67 

8.  '*They  heard  him  breaking  the  Bones  op  the  Anoial".  69 

9.  *'IIe  stretched  out  his  Hand  to  seize  his  Gun"     .         .  83 

10.  *'An  old  Male  keeps  sentry" 100 

11.  **He  owed  his  Safety  to  a  large  Fragment  op  Hock"    .  107 

12.  The  Giraffe 109 

13.  *'Ip  he  can  reach  Deep  Water,  he  plunges  in"      .         .  121 

14.  "On  the  HIVES  Bank  the  Mother  showed  herself"       .  131 

15.  '''The  Hunter  was  tossed  in  the  Air"     ....  144 

16.  *'He  tore  away  the  upper  part  of  his  Body"         .        .  156 

17.  *'The  old  Male  stumbled,  and  fell  on  his  Knees"         .  169 

18.  Herd  op  Elephants IBS 

19.  ."The  Duke  discharged  both  Barrels  in  quick  succession"  201 

20.  "The   Ostrich  then  turned  its  blows  against  Si-Moham- 

med"    219 

21.  Crocodiles  on  the  Mud-banks  op  the  Guayaquil                •  2'6S 
22. •Fight  between  the  Cayman  and  the  Jaguar    .        »  245 


CHAPTER  I. 

L — Stopjes  of  Travelleks. 

For  three  centuries  the  rumour  has  been  current  that 
there  existed  on  the  western  coast  of  Africa,  north  and 
south  of  the  equator,  an  ape  of  immense  strength  and 
gigantic  size, — of  all  animals  the  largest  and  most 
formidable — the  king  of  the  African  forests. 

Let  us  see  what  travellers  say  concerning  this 
animal. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century  Andrew 
Battel,  who  had  been  for  a  long  time  a  prisoner  of  the 
Portuguese  in  Angola,  described,  under  the  name  of 
Fongo,  an  ape  resembling  a  man  in  all  his  proportions, 
but  as  large  as  a  giant,  and  so  strong  that  ten  men 
were  not  sufficient  to  subdue  one  of  them. 

''He  has  a  human  face,"  said  Battel,  ''with  sunken 
eyes,  long  hair  on  the  sides  of  his  head,  his  face  naked, 
as  well  as  his  ears  and  his  hands;  his  body  rather 
shaggy;    his   hair   of  dark   brown.     He   differs   from 

B 


2  THE    GORILLA. 

man  in  outward  appearance  chiefly  in  having  little  or 
no  calves  to  his  legs.  Nevertheless,  he  walks  upright, 
holding  his  hands  clasped  hehmd  his  neck  He  sleeps 
in  trees,  and  constructs  for  himself  a  shelter  against 
the  sun  and  rain ;  he  lives  on  fruits ;  he  cannot  talk, 
although  he  has  a  better  understanding  than  other 
animals.  When  travellers  abandon,  in  the  morning, 
the  fire  which  they  have  kept  during  the  night,  the 
pongoes  come  and  sit  around  it  until  it  becomes  extinct, 
but  they  have  not  sufficient  intelligence  to  gather  wood 
to  keep  it  alive.  They  go  in  companies ,  they  kill  the 
negroes  they  encounter ;  they  will  even  attack  an  ele- 
phant, and  put  him  to  flight  by  blows  with  their  fists 
or  with  sticks.'* 

Bosman,  another  traveller  in  Guinea,  has  spoken 
of  the  same  ape.  "  They  grow  extremely  large,"  he 
wrote ;  '^  I  have  seen  one  with  my  own  eyes  which  was 
five  feet  high ;  they  have  a  very  ugly  figure,  are  very 
wicked,  very  bold,  and  sujSficiently  daring  to  attack 
men.  Some  negroes  assure  us  that  these  apes 
can  talk,  and  that  if  they  don't  do  so,  it  is 
because  they  don't  wish  to  give  themselves  the 
trouble.  It  would  perhaps  be  better  to  say  that  they 
are  capable  of  understanding  all  one  would  wish  to 
teach  them." 

M.  de  la  Brosse,  in  a  journey  on  the  coast  of 
Angola,  published  in  1738,  says  that  they  attain  the 


STORIES   OF   TKAVELLERS.  3 

height  of  six  and  seven  feet,  that  their  strength  is 
without  equal,  that  they  live  in  huts,  and  use  clubs  to 
defend  themselves.     He  thus  describes  them  : — 

''Face  dull,  nose  snubbed  and  flat,  ears  without 
cushions,  skin  a  little  lighter  than  that  of  a  mulatto, 
hair  long  and  thin  on  many  parts  of  the  body,  stomach 
extremely  tight,  the  heels  flat,  and  elevated  about  half 
an  inch  at  the  back,  They  walk  on  two  feet,  and  on 
all-fours  when  they  have  the  fancy  to  do  so.'*  M.  de 
la  Brosse  adds  that  they  endeavour  to  carry  off  the 
ncgresses,  keep  them  with  them,  and  treat  them  very 
welL  *'I  have  known  at  Lowango  a  negress  who  had 
been  three  years  with  these  animals." 

Finally,  Mr,  Bowditch,  in  his  "Narrative  of  a  Mis- 
sion from  Cape  Coast  Castle  to  Ashantee"  (London, 
1819),  writes  :— 

"  The  favourite  and  most  curious  subject  of  our  con- 
versation on  natural  history  was  the  Ingena,  an  animal 
like  the  orang-outang,  but  of  a  much  greater  size,  being 
five  feet  in  height  and  four  feet  across  the  shoulders. 
Its  paw  was  said  to  be  still  more  disproportionate,  and 
one  blow  of  it  would  cause  death.  Travellers  who  go 
to  Kaybe  frequently  encounter  him.  He  lies  in  ambush 
to  kill  passers-by,  and  he  principally  feeds  on 
wild  honey,  ^mong  other  traits  which  characterize 
this  animal,  and  on  which  all  persons  agree,  it  is 
reported   that   he  builds  for  himself  a  hut,  in  rude 


4  THE   GORILLA.. 

imitation  of  that  of  the  natives,  and  that  he  sleeps 
outside  on  the  roof  of  this  dwelling. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  Africa  does  not  contain  an 
ape  which  bears  resemblance  to  man  in  all  his  pro- 
portions, and  which  differs  from  him  exteriorly  only 
in  the  small  protuberance  of  his  calves,  and  who  docs 
not  talk  simply  because  he  does  not  wish  to  give 
himself  the  trouble.  '*I  regret,"  says  an  author,  from 
whom  presently  we  shall  frequently  borrow, — **  I  regret 
to  be  obliged  to  destroy  agreeable  illusions ;  but  the 
gorilla  does  not  lie  in  ambush  behind  trees  to  seize 
with  his  claws  the  defenceless  traveller.  He  does  not 
strangle  him  between  his  feet  as  in  a  vice ;  he  does  not 
carry  away  women  from  their  villages ;  he  does  not  build 
for  himself  a  hut  of  branches  in  the  forests ;  he  does 
not  march  in  troops,  and  in  all  that  has  been  said  of  his 
attacks  en  masse,  there  is  not  the  shadow  of  truth.'' 

The  reports  of  travellers  w^ere  then  imbued  with 
exaggerations  and  errors ;  but  beyond  what  was  erro- 
neous and  improbable,  these  accounts  agree  in  attesting 
the  existence  of  an  ape  distinct  from  the  chimpanzee, 
larger,  stronger,  and  more  dangerous  than  this  latter, 
and  of  that  there  was  no  reason  to  doubt. 

Attention  was  then  aroused  to  the  subject.  It  was 
in  1846  that  all  doubts  ceased. 

It  happened  that  at  that  period  an  American  mis- 
sionary, the  Eev.  Dr.  J.  Leighton  Wilson,  discovered  at 


STORIES   OF   TEAYELLERS.  5 

the  Gaboon  the  skull  of  a  new  and  extraordinary- kind 
of  ape.  A  narrow  cranial  cavity,  almost  wholly  behind 
the  orbits  of  the  eyes,  and  where  the  cerebral  convolu- 
tions had  left  but  feeble  impression ;  jaw-bones  of  pro- 
digious power,  projecting  in  front,  and  armed  with 
formidable  and  deeply  rooted  tusks  ;  at  the  extremities 
of  the  eyebrows,  on  the  line  of  the  parietal  bonj^s,  and 
at  the  junction  of  these  with  the  occipital,  were 
enormous  bony  ridges  ;  finally,  very  large  and  arched 
cheek-bones  :  in  a  word,  all  the  characters  of  bestiality 
carried  to  excess  and  united  to  those  of  strength  without 
equal  among  apes :  such  was  this  skull,  which  could 
only  have  belonged  to  the  Ingena  of  Bowditch,  to  the 
Pongo  of  Battel.  A  learned  American  naturalist,  Pro- 
fessor Jeffries  Wyman,  gave  a  description  of  it  in  1847 
in  the  '^  Journal  of  Natural  History  of  Boston."  The 
discovery  of  Mr.  Wilson  did  not  long  remain  isolated, 
and  the  anatomy  of  the  new  quadrumane,  to  which 
Wilson  had  given  the  name  of  Gorilla,  became  the 
object  of  the  labours  of  Eichard  Owen  in  England,  of 
Isidore  Geoffrey  Saint  Hilaire  and  of  Duvernoy  in 
France.  The  interest  still  increased  when  the  first 
white  man  who  had  seen  a  living  gorilla  face  to 
face  had  marie  known  Ms  marvollous  storios  of  the 
chase. 

This  white  man  is  an  American  of  French  origin, 
M.  Paul  du  Chaillu, 


6  THE    GORILLA. 

He  embarked,  in  the  month  of  October,  1855,  for  the 
western  coast  of  Africa.  His  intention  was  to  devote 
some  years  to  the  exploration  of  the  region  comprised 
between  two  degrees  North  and  two  degrees  South  lati- 
tude over  the  whole  space  which  extends  from  the  coast 
to  the  chain  of  mountains  called  the  Sierra  del  Crystal. 
This  country  is  the  domain  of  the  gorilla.  Many 
times,  during  a  former  excursion  in  Africa,  our  traveller 
had  heard  of  this  animal,  of  his  terrible  roar,  his  pro- 
digious strength,  and  great  courage.  To  reach  the 
gorilla  in  his  haunts,  to  kill  him,  and  so  to  enrich 
science,  was  one  of  the  objects  which  M.  du  Chaillu 
had  in  view.     We  are  going  to  see  him  at  the  work. 

But  whilst  he  is  seeking  this  extraordinary  being, 
let  us  listen  to  the  stories  told  by  the  negroes  whilst 
sitting  round  their  camp  fires,  as  reported  by  the 
American  author. 


11. — Stories  of  the  Negroes. 

"My  father,"  said  one,  '^  used  to  relate,  that  being  one 
day  in  the  forest,  he  suddenly  found  himself  face  to 
face  with  a  great  gorilla,  which  barred  the  way.  My 
father  held  his  lance  in  his  hand ;  at  sight  of  this 
weapon  the  gorilla  began  to  roar.  Then  my  father, 
frightened,  let  fall  his  lance.     When  the  gorilla  saw 


STORIES    OF    THE    NEGROES.  7 

that  he  was  disarmed,  he  seemed  satisfied ;  he  looked 
at  him  for  an  instant,  and  then  left  him  and  returned 
into  the  depths  of  the  forest.  My  father,  on  his  side, 
was  well  content,  and  pursued  his  journey.'* 

And  the  auditors  cried"  with  one  voice,  ''Yes,  yes, 
that's  it;  when  you  meet  a  gorilla,  let  fall  your 
lance,  and  you  will  appease  him !  " 

''Some  dry  seasons  since,"  said  another,  "a  man, 
after  a  violent  quarrel,  disappeared  from  my  village.  A 
short  time  afterwards  an  Ashira,  going  into  the  forest, 
met  there  a  very  large  gorilla.  This  gorilla  was  the 
man  himself  who  had  disappeared.  He  leapt  on  the 
poor  Ashira,  bit  a  piece  of  flesh  from  his  arm,  and 
then  allowed  him  to  go.  The  unfortunate  man  re- 
turned with  his  arm  all  bleeding,  and  told  me  of  his 
adventure.  I  hope  we  shall  not  encounter  any  of  these 
man-gorillas,  for  they  are  very  wicked  beings,  and  we 
shall  have  a  terrible  time  of  it.  " 

The  chorus  replied,  "  No,  no,  we  shall  not  meet  with 
these  wicked  gorillas  !  '* 

*'  They  believe,  in  fact,"  says  the  author  already 
quoted,  "that  there  are  some  gorillas  of  a  particular 
kind  which  serve  as  the  habitation  of  the  spirits  of 
certain  dead  negroes.  The  initiated  recognize  them  by 
mysterious  signs,  and,  above  all,  by  their  extraordinary 
stature.  These  gorillas,  according  to  the  Indians,  can 
never  be  taken  or  killed  ;  they  have  also  more  sagacity 


8  THE    GORILLA. 

and  reason  than  the  common  animals.  In  these  pos- 
sessed beasts  the  intelligence  of  man  is  united  with 
the  strength  and  ferocity  of  the  animal. 

*^  Some  years  ago  a  man  disappeared,  carried  ofl 
probably  by  a  tiger.  It  was  said,  and  believed,  that 
one  day,  whilst  he  was  walking  in  the  woods,  he  had 
been  metamorphosed  into  a  hideous  gorilla,  which  the 
blacks  had  often  pursued  without  being  able  to  kill, 
although  he  continually  haunted  the  outskirts  of  the 
village." 

Here  is  another  story : — 

Some  natives  encountered,  in  a  field  of  sugar-canes, 
a  troop  of  gorillas  tying  up  the  canes  in  bundles  to  carry 
them  away.  They  attacked  them,  but  the  apes  put 
them  to  flight,  and  they  lost  many  men,  some  killed, 
others  prisoners.  A  few  days  after,  the  latter  returned 
home  with  their  finger  and  toe-nails  torn  off. 

Two  Mbondemos  women  were  walking  in  a  forest, 
when  suddenly  an  enormous  gorilla  bestrode  the  path, 
and  seizing  one  of  the  women,  carried  her  off,  in  spite 
of  her  efforts  and  her  cries.  The  other,  trembling  with 
terror,  returned  to  the  village  and  related  the  adventure. 

Naturally,  her  companion  was  held  as  lost.  What 
was  the  general  surprise  when,  at  the  end  of  a  few 
days,  she  returned  home  ! 

*'It  was  a  gorilla  possessed  by  a  spirit,"  cried  one 
of  the  hearers. 


STORIES    OF   THE   NEGROES.  9 

A  gorilla  was  walking  in  the  forest,  when  lie  met 
a  leopard.  Both  stood  still.  The  quadruped,  which 
was  hungry,  drew  himself  up  to  make  a.  spring  at 
the  throat  of  his  enemy,  who  immediately  commenced 
a  fearful  howling.  Without  allowing  himself  to  he 
intimidated,  the  leopard  took  his  leap ;  as  ill  luck 
would  have  it,  he  was  caught  in  the  air  hy  the  gorilla, 
who  seized  him  hy  the  tail,  and  twisted  it  round  and 
round  with  such  force  that  it  came  off,  and  the  animal 
fled,  leaving  his  appendage  in  the  hands  of  the  gorilla. 

Ee turned  to  his  comrades,  the  quadruped  had  to 
reply  to  their  questions. 

*'"What  has  happened?"  they  asked  him.  It  was 
necessary  to  tell  the  whole  story,  at  which  news  the 
king  of  the  leopards  howled  so  long  and  so  strong,  that 
from  all  points  of  the  forest  his  suhjects  came  together. 
Hardly  had  they  learnt  the  injury  done  to  their  hrother, 
than  they  swore  to  revenge  it,  and  at  once  they  entered 
the  field  in  pursuit  of  the  gorilla. 

Their  search  did  not  last  long.  As  soon  as  the  great 
ape  saw  them  approach,  he  tore  up  a  tree,  and  using  it 
as  a  club,  he  whirled  it  round  with  an  air  so  menacing, 
that  he  held  in  abeyance  the  army  of  his  assailants; 
but  at  last  he  grew  tired,  seeing  which,  the  leopards 
rushed  upon  him  altogether,  and  strangled  him. 

One  day,  another  gorilla  was  walking  out  in  the 
forest  with  his  wdfe   and  little  boy,  when  he  found 


10  THE    GORILLA. 

himself  suddenly  vis-d-vis  with  an  immense  elephant, 
who  said  to  him, — 

*'Let  me  pass,  gorilla,  for  these  forests  belong  to 
me." 

''Oh,  oh!"  said  the  gorilla,  *' how  do  these  forests 
belong  to  thee  ?  Am  I  not  the  master  here  ?  Am  I 
not  the  man  of  the  woods?"  So  saying,  he  ordered 
his  wife  and  his  little  boy  to  stand  aside.  He  then 
broke  off  a  large  branch  of  a  tree,  and  arming  him- 
self with  it,  he  so  belaboured  the  elephant  that  he  was 
killed  by  his  blows,  and  some  days  afterwards  the  car- 
case of  the  elephant  was  found  on  the  ground,  and  the 
club  lying  beside  him. 

One  fact  believed  by  all  the  tribes  who  know  a  little 
of  the  gorilla  is,  that  this  animal  conceals  himself  on 
the  lower  branches  of  trees,  and  that  when  any  one 
passes  his  ambuscade,  he  seizes  the  unhappy  wretch 
with  his  large  and  powerful  hands,  lifts  him  into  the 
tree,  and  quietly  chokes  him. 

They  are  quite  persuaded  that  if  a  woman  about  to 
become  a  mother,  or  if  only  the  husband  of  the  woman 
should  see  a  gorilla,  or  even  a  dead  gorilla,  the  woman 
will  give  birth  not  to  an  infant,  but  to  a  little  gorilla  ! 
*'I  have  remarked  this  superstition,"  says  M.  du 
Chaillu,  ''  amongst  all  the  tribes,,  and  only  a  jpropos 
of  the  gorilla." 

But  this  superstition  does   not  prevent  them  from 


ON  THE  HUNTING  GEOUND.  11 

eating  the  gorilla.  Thej  carefully  set  apart  the  brains 
to  make  magic  charms.  '*  If  we  kill  a  gorilla  to- 
morrow/' said  a  black,  ^'  I  should  like  to  have  a  part 
of  his  brains  for  fetiche,''  Nothing  can  render  a  man 
more  intrepid  than  having  a  gorilla's  brains  ^or  fetiche. 
*'  Yes,"  repeated  the  other,  '*  that  gives  heart  for  every 
danger." 


III. — On  the  Hunting  Ground. 

Accompanied  by  men  and  women  of  the  tribe  of  Mbon- 
demos,  M.  du  Chaillu,  ascending  the  second  range  of 
the  Sierra  del  Crystal,  at  length  came  upon  an  open 
space  of  ground,  not  far  from  the  sources  of  the 
Ntambonny,  where  once  had  been  established  a  Mbon- 
demo  village.  A  degenerate  kind  of  sugar-cane  was 
growing  where  the  houses  had  once  stood.  Tormented 
by  hunger,  the  traveller  had  hastened  to  gather  some  of 
the  stalks,  but  his  men  drew  his  attention  to  a  cir- 
cumstance which  gave  quite  a  new  turn  to  his  ideas. 
Here  and  there  the  cane  was  beaten  down,  torn  up  by 
the  roots,  and  lying  about  in  fragments,  which  had 
evidently  been  chewed.  The  Mbondemos  looked  at 
each  other  in  silence,  and  muttered,  ^^  Njenaf  ihtii 
is  to  say,  *'  Gorilla." 

They  were,  in  fact,  traces  of  gorillas,  and  traces, 
too,  quite  fresh.     They  soon  found  the  tracks  of  their 


12  THE    GORILLA. 

feet,  and  there  must  have  been  four  or  five  in  the 
comi^any.  From  time  to  time  they  had  sat  doT\Ti  to 
masticate  the  canes. 

**  It  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  seen  these  foot- 
prints," writes  M.  du  Chaillu,  *^and  my  sensationa 
were  indescribable.  Here  was  I,  now,  it  seemed,  on 
the  point  of  meeting  face  to  face  that  monster  of  whose 
ferocity,  strength,  and  cunning  the  natives  had  told  me 
so  much ;  an  animal  scarce  known  to  the  civilized  world, 
and  which  no  white  man  before  had  hunted.  My  heart 
beat  till  I  feared  its  loud  pulsations  would  alarm  the 
gorilla,  and  my  feelings  were  really  excited  to  a  painful 
degree. 

*'  The  women  were  terrified,  poor  things,  and  we  left 
them  a  good  escort  of  two  or  three  men  to  take  care  of 
them  and  reassure  them.  Then  the  rest  of  us  looked 
once  more  carefully  at  our  guns,  and  the  hunt  began. 

*^  We  descended  a  hill,  crossed  a  stream  on  a  fallen 
log,  and  presently  approached  some  huge  boulders 
of  granite.  Alongside  of  this  granite  block  lay  an 
immense  dead  tree,  and  about  this  we  saw  many  evi- 
dences of  the  very  recent  presence  of  the  gorillas. 

**  Doubtless  they  were  hiding  behind  these  granite 
blocks,  which  it  was  necessary  to  surround.  The 
hunters  divided  into  two  parties,  one  taking  the  right, 
the  other  the  left,  with  guns  cocked  and  in  hand.  The 
excitement  of  the  blacks  was  even  greater  than  that  of 


ON  THE  HUNTING  GROUND.  13 

their  master.  They  advanced  through  the  brushwood, 
which  was  dense  and  sombre,  though  it  was  broad  day. 
Unfortunately,  the  circle  had  been  too  much  enlarged. 
The  watchful  gorillas  saw  the  hunters.  Suddenly  a 
strange  discordant,  half-human  devilish  cry  arose,  and 
they  beheld  four  young  gorillas  running  towards  the 
deep  forests.  With  their  heads  bent  down,  and  their 
bodies  stooping,  they  gave  the  idea  of  men  who  were 
flying  for  their  lives.  They  resembled  to  a  frightful 
degree  hairy  men. 

**  I  protest,"  continues  M.  du  Chaillu,  *'  I  felt  almost 
like  a  murderer  when  I  saw  the  gorillas  this  first  time. 
Take  with  this  their  awful  cry,  which,  fierce  and  ani- 
mal as  it  is,  has  yet  something  human  in  its  discor- 
dance, and  you  will  cease  to  wonder  that  the  natives 
have  the  wildest  superstitions  about  these  tvild  men  of 
the  ivoocls.  They  all  fired  at  once,  but  hit  nothing ; 
then  the  hunters  rushed  on  in  pursuit :  they  ran  until 
they  were  exhausted,  but  in  vain.  The  alert  beasts 
knew  the  woods  better  than  their  enemies,  and  so  made 
good  their  escape." 

So  far,  then,  it  was  a  failure ;  but  at  least  M.  du 
Chaillu  could  boast  of  having  seen  living  gorillas, 
and  he  lost  no  time  in  endeavouring  to  see  them  again, 
and  more  closely. 

Some  days  after  this  fruitless  hunt,  the  intrepid  tra^ 
veller  and  his  friends  the  Mbondemos.,  starting  early  in 


14  THE    GORILLA. 

the  morning,  explored  for  many  hours  the  thickets  and 
least  approachable  parts  of  the  forest,  but  without  find- 
ing the  faintest  trace  of  a  gorilla,  when  suddenly  one 
of  the  men  uttered  a  little  ^'  cluck '^  with  his  tongue, 
which  is  the  native's  way  of  showing  that  something  is 
stirring,  and  at  the  same  time  M.  du  Chaillu  thought 
he  heard — seemingly  ahead  of  him — the  noise  as  of 
some  one  breaking  dow^n  the  branches  or  twigs  of  trees. 
**  This  was  the  gorilla,  I  knew  at  once,  by  the  eager 
and  satisfied  looks  of  the  men. 

"  They  looked  once  more  carefully  at  their  guns,  to 
see  if  by  any  chance  the  powder  had  fallen  out  of  the 
pans ;  I  also  examined  mine,  to  make  sure  that  all  was 
right ;  and  then  we  marched  on  cautiously.  The  sin- 
gular noise  of  the  breaking  of  tree  branches  continued ; 
we  walked  with  the  greatest  care,  making  no  noise  at 
all.  The  countenances  of  the  men  showed  that  they 
thought  themselves  engaged  in  a  very  serious  under- 
taking ;  but  we  pushed  on,  until  finally  we  thought 
we  saw  through  the  thick  woods  the  moving  of  the 
branches  and  small  trees,  which  tlie  great  beast  was 
tearing  down,  probably  to  get  from  them  the  berries 
and  fruits  he  lives  on. 

*'  Suddenly,  as  we  were  yet  creeping  along,  in  a 
silence  which  made  a  heavy  breath  seem  loud  and 
distinct,  the  woods  were  at  once  filled  with  the  tremen- 
dous barking  roar  of  the  gorilla. 


ON  THE  HUNTING  GROUND.  15 

-•  Then  the  underbrush  swayed  rapidly  just  ahead,  and 
presently  before  us  stood  an  immense  male  gorilla.  He 
had  gone  through  the  jungle  on  all-fours,  but  when  he 
saw  our  party  he  erected  himself  and  looked  us  boldly 
in  the  face.  He  stood  about  a  dozen  yards  from  us,  and 
was  a  sight  I  think  I  shall  never  forget.  Nearly  sis 
feet  high  (he  proved  four  inches  shorter),  with  immense 
body,  huge  chest,  and  great  muscular  arms,  with 
fiercely  glaring  large  deep  grey  eyes,  and  a  hellish 
expression  of  face,  which  seemed  to  me  like  some 
nightmare  vision.  Thus  stood  before  us  the  king  of 
the  African  forests. 

*'He  was  not  afraid  of  us;  he  stood  there  and  beat 
his  breast  with  his  huge  fists  till  it  resounded  like  an 
immense  drum  (its  usual  mode  of  offering  defiance), 
meantime  giving  vent  to  roar  after  roar. 

'*  The  roar  of  the  gorilla  is  the  most  singular  and 
awful  noise  heard  in  these  African  woods.  It  begins 
with  a  sharp  bark,  like  an  angry  dog,  then  glides  into  a 
deep  bass  roll,  which  literally  and  closely  resembles  the 
roll  of  distant  thunder  along  the  sky,  for  which  I  have 
sometimes  been  tempted  to  take  it  when  I  did  not  see 
the  animal.  So  deep  is  it,  that  it  seems  to  proceed 
less  from  the  mouth  and  throat  than  from  the  deep 
chest  and  vast  paunch. 

''His  eyes  began  to  flash  fiercer  fire  as  we  stood 
motionless  on  the  defensive,  and  the  crest  of  short  hair 


16  THE    GOKILLA. 

which  stands  od  his  forehead  began  to  twitch  rapidly 
up  and  down,  while  his  powerful  fangs  were  shown  as 
he  sent  forth  a  thunderous  roar;  and  now  truly  he 
reminded  me  of  nothing  but  some  hellish  dream-crea- 
ture, a  being  of  that  hideous  order — half  man,  half 
beast,  which  we  find  pictured  by  old  artists  in  some 
representations  of  the  infernal  regions.  He  advanced 
a  few  steps,  then  stopped  to  utter  that  hideous  roar 
again ;  advanced  again,  and  finally  stopped  when  at  a 
distance  of  about  six  yards  from  us ;  and  here,  just  as 
he  began  another  of  his  roars,  beating  his  breast  in 
rage,  we  fired  and  killed  him. 

"With  a  groan,  which  had  something  terribly  human 
in  it,  and  yet  was  full  of  brutishness,  he  fell  forward 
on  his  face.  The  body  shook  convulsively  for  a  few 
minutes,  the  limbs  moved  about  in  a  struggling  way, 
then  all  was  quiet.'* 

The  body  measured  five  feet  eight  inches  high. 

Another  day,  when  out  hunting,  M.  du  Chaillu  heard 
a  loud  rumbling  noise,  which  he  took  for  thunder. 
Foreseeing  a  storm,  he  hastened  to  seek  shelter  under 
some  ebony  bushes,  but  he  soon  perceived  that  this 
supposed  rolling  of  thunder  was  nothing  else  than  the 
voice  of  a  male  gorilla  calling  the  female,  who  an  in- 
stant afterwards  replied  by  a  more  feeble  roar.  The 
echo  of  this  terrible  voice  resounded  from  mountain  to 
mountain,  and  the  forest  seemed  to  tremble. 


ON  THE  HUNTING  GROUND,  17 

Our  traveller  immediately  slipped  a  ball  into  his 
gun,  already  loaded  with  bird- shot,  and  walked  in  the 
direction  of  the  cry. 

From  thne  to  time  the  rumbling  sound,  which  the 
male  makes  in  striking  his  breast  with  his  large  fists, 
approached  him. 

He  soon  heard  the  cracking  of  branches,  and  he  saw 
through  the  thicket  a  young  tree  rudely  shaken,  and  in 
a  few  seconds  fall  to  the  ground.  But  perhaps  the 
animal  was  conscious  of  danger,  for  a  profound  silence 
succeeded  the  roaring,  and  when  M.  du  Chaillu  had 
opened  a  passage  into  the  thicket,  the  gorilla  had 
disappeared. 

"  I  am  certain,'*  writes  he,  *'  that  I  heard  his  roar 
at  a  distance  of  three  miles,  and  the  drumming  of  his 
arms  against  his  breast  at  a  mile  at  least.  No  words 
can  describe  the  kind  of  thunder  which  it  produces. 

*'  On  examining  the  wood  where  these  gorillas  were 
moving  and  feeding,  I  learnt  for  the  first  time  why  the 
canine  teeth  of  this  animal,  especially  of  the  male,  are 
generally  so  worn,  and  I  found  at  the  same  time  aston- 
ishing proofs  of  his  strength.  Many  trees,  measuring 
from  four  to  six  inches  in  diameter,  had  been  broken, 
and  bore  the  marks  of  the  biting  of  the  gorillas,  whose 
teeth  had  penetrated  to  the  heart  of  the  tree,  in  order 
to  extract  the  pith.  It  was  a  hard  wood,  and  I  saw 
well,  by  the  manner  in  which  it  had  been  gnawed,  that 

0 


18  THE   GOEILLA. 

it  was  quite  needless  to  attribute  to  any  other  cause  the 
singular  deterioration  which  I  had  remarked  in  the 
exterior  of  the  canine  teeth  of  these  animals." 

Some  days  after  this  fruitless  encounter,  the  natives 
reported  to  Du  Chaillu  that  a  very  large  gorilla  had 
been  seen  many  times  in  the  forest  ten  miles  to  the 
east.  The  traveller,  who  was  just  then  in  search  of 
such  a  subject  for  his  collection,  at  once  resolved  to  go 
and  look  after  this  fellow. 

Accompanied  by  a  negro  named  Gambo,  he  hunted 
for  many  hours,  when  at  length,  in  a  thicket  at  the 
bottom  of  an  obscure  ravine,  he  suddenly  found  him- 
self face  to  face  with  two  gorillas — male  and  female. 
These  had  already  perceived  them  :  the  female  uttered 
a  cry  of  alarm  and  fled  through  the  woods.  As  to  the 
male,  which  was  just  the  one  which  M.  du  Chaillu 
wanted,  he  showed  no  intention  to  fly.  He  rose  slowly, 
and  facing  the  disturbers  of  his  retreat,  he  uttered  a 
roar  of  rage.  The  hunters  stood  side  by  side  awaiting 
the  attack  of  the  monster.  Imperfectly  seen  in  the 
dim  half-light  of  the  ravine,  his  hideous  features 
working  with  rage,  his  eyes  shining  with  a  sombre  fire, 
his  satyr-like  face  violently  contracted,  he  was  alto- 
gether  frightful. 

lie  advanced  by  jerks,  as  is  the  custom  of  these 
animals,  and  halting  from  time  to  time  to  beat  his  fists 
on  his  vast  breast,  which  emitted  a  dull  hollow  sound, 


ON  THE  HUNTING  GROUND.  19 

like  that  of  a  great  bass  drum  covered  with  ox-hide; 
then  he  gave  a  short  bark,  followed  by  that  formidable 
roar  which  we  have  already  heard  of. 

The  two  men  stood  firm  at  their  post  for  three  long 
minutes,  waiting  until  the  gigantic  animal  should  be 
sufficiently  near.  Arrived  within  a  distance  of  about  six 
yards,  the  monster  raised  his  head,  roared  again,  and 
beat  his  breast.  He  was  on  the  point  of  moving  for- 
ward again,  when  two  balls,  fired  at  the  same  moment, 
staggered  him,  and  he  fell  at  full  length  on  his  face, 
dead. 

*'  I  saw  at  once  that  we  had  the  very  animal  I 
wanted.  It  is  the  oldest  of  all  my  collection,  and  very 
nearly  the  largest  I  ever  saw.  Gambo,  who  though  a 
young  man  was  still  an  old  hunter,  said  a  fev/  were 
larger,  but  not  many.  Its  height  was  five  feet  nine 
inches,  measured  to  the  tip  of  the  toes.  Its  arms 
spread  nine  feet.  Its  chest  had  a  circumference  of 
sixty-two  inches.  The  hands — those  terrible  claw-like 
weapons,  with  one  blow  of  which  he  tears  out  the 
bowels  of  a  man,  or  breaks  his  arms — were  of 
immense  muscular  power,  and  bent  like  veritable  claws. 
I  could  see  how  frightful  a  blow  could  be  struck  with 
such  a  hand,  moved  by  such  an  arm,  all  swollen  into 
great  bunches  of  muscular  fibre,  as  this  animal  pos- 
sessed. The  big  toe  was  no  less  than  six  inches  in 
circumference." 

c  2 


20  the  gorilla. 

More  Hunting  Stories. 

One  morning,  after  a  terrible  night,  during  which  an 
awful  storm  had  extinguished  the  camp  fire  and  left  the 
travellers  most  uncomfortable,  the  roar  of  a  gorilla  was 
heard,  which  revived  the  drooping  spirits  of  M.  du 
Chaillu.  He  swallowed  a  cup  of  coffee  and  a  biscuit — 
nothing  more,  for  provisions  were  scarce — and  set  out. 

**  We  had  not  far  to  go,'*  he  writes.  **  We  had 
walked  barely  a  quarter  of  a  mile  when  we  heard  the 
loud  roar  again  ;  this  time  quite  near.  We  stood  quite 
still  for  fear  of  alarming  the  beast,  which  was  evidently 
approaching  us,  as  we  could  see  the  bushes  bent 
towards  us.  The  fear  of  alarming  him,  however, 
proved  needless.  When  he  saw  us  he  at  once  struck 
aside  the  intervening  bushes,  rose  to  an  erect  position, 
made  a  few  steps,  stopped,  and  seated  himself;  then, 
beating  his  vast  breast,  which  resounded  like  an  old 
drum,  he  advanced  straight  upon  us.  His  dark  eyes 
flashed  with  rage,  his  features  worked  convulsively,  and 
at  every  few  paces  he  stopped,  and,  opening  his  cavern- 
ous mouth,  gave  venl;  to  his  thunderous  roar,  which 
.  the  forest  gave  back  with  multiplied  echoes. 

*'  He  was  evidently  not  a  bit  alarmed,  and  was  quite 
ready  for  a  fight.  We  stood  perfectly  still.  He  advanced 
till  he  stood  beating  his  breast  within  six  yards  of  us, 
when  I  thought  it  time  to  put  an  end  to  the  scene. 


MORE    HUNTING    STORIES.  21 

My  shot  hit  him  in  the  breast,  and  he  fell  forward  on 
his  face,  dead.  They  die  very  easily,  and  haye  none  of 
that  tenacity  of  life  which  most  savage  animals  have. 
In  this  they  also  resemble  man.  It  proved  to  be  a 
middle-aged  male,  a  fine  specimen." 

Still  another  encounter,  and  another  victory.  The 
animal  had  announced  his  presence  by  roaring.  They 
thought  he  was  close  at  hand,  but  he  proved  farther 
off  than  they  imagined.  They  wandered  nearly  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour  through  the  forest  before  they 
reached  him.  As  soon  as  he  perceived  the  men  he 
came  resolutely  towards  them,  uttering  a  succession  of 
the  short  bark-like  yells  which  denote  his  rage. 

**  His  manner  of  approach  gave  me  once  more  an 
opportunity  to  see  with  how  much  difficulty  he  supports 
himself  in  the  erect  posture.  His  short  and  slender 
legs  are  not  able  firmly  to  sustain  the  large  body. 
They  totter  beneath  the  weight,  and  the  walk  is  a  sort 
of  waddle,  in  which  the  long  arms  are  used,  in  a  clumsy 
way,  to  balance  the  body  and  keep  up  the  ill-sustained 
equilibrium.  Twice  he  sat  down  to  roar,  evidently  not 
trusting  himself  to  this  exertion  while  standing. 

*'  My  gun  was  fresh  loaded,  and  could  be  depended 
upcn,  so  I  stood  in  advance.  I  waited,  as  the  negro 
rule  is,  till  the  huge  beast  was  within  six  yards  of  me ; 
then,  as  he  once  more  stopped  to  roar,  delivered  my 
fire,  and  brought  him  down  on  his  face,  dead. 


22  THE   GORILLA. 

"  It  proved  to  be  a  male,  full  grown,  but  young. 
His  huge  canine  tusks,  his  claw-like  hands,  the 
immense  development  of  muscle  on  his  arms  and 
breast, — his  whole  appearance,  in  fact,  proclaimed  a 
giant  strength.  There  is  enough  likeness  to  humanity 
in  this  beast  to  make  a  dead  one  an  awful  sight,  even 
to  accustomed  eyes,  as  mine  were  by  this  time.  I 
never  quite  felt  that  matter-of-course  indifference,  or 
that  sensation  of  triumph  which  the  hunter  has  when 
a  good  shot  has  brought  him  a  head  of  his  choice 
game.  It  was  as  though  I  had  killed  some  monstrous 
creation,  which  yet  had  something  of  humanity  in  it. 
Well  as  I  knew  that  this  was  an  error,  I  could  not 
help  the  feeling. 

*^This  animal  was  five  feet  eight  inches  high.  In 
the  evening,  Minsho  brought  in  a  young  female  he  had 
shot,  w^hich  measured  three  feet  eight  inches.  All  the 
hunts  had  not  this  happy  issue.  On  one  occasion,  when 
M.  du  Chaillu  was  beating  the  woods  at  the  head  of  a 
little  troop,  one  of  his  bold  companions  had  the  im- 
prudence to  advance  alone  from  the  side  where  he  ex- 
pected to  encounter  a  gorilla.  For  nearly  an  hour  they 
had  lost  sight  of  him,  when  they  heard  a  shot  fired  in 
the  distance — then  a  second.  They  ran  in  the  direction 
of  the  shot,  hoping  to  find  a  dead  gorilla,  when  sud- 
denly  the  forest  resounded  with  more  terrible  roars. 

**  Gambo  seized  my  arms  in  great  agitation,  and  wo 


MORE    HUNTING   STORIES.  23 

hurried  on,  both  filled  with  a  dreadful  and  sickening 
alarm.  We  had  not  gone  far  when  our  w^orst  fears 
were  realized.  The  poor  brave  fellow  who  had  gone 
off  alone,  was  lying  on  the  ground  in  a  pool  of  his 
own  blood,  and  I  thought,  at  first,  quite  dead.  His 
bowels  were  protruding  through  the  lacerated  abdomen. 
Beside  him  lay  his  gun,  f  e  stock  was  broken,  and  the 
barrel  was  bent  and  flattened.  It  bore  plainly  the 
marks  of  the  gorilla's  teeth. 

"We  picked  him  up,  and  I  dressed  his  wounds  as 
well  as  I  could  with  rags  torn  from  my  clothes.  When 
I  had  given  him  a  little  brandy  to  drink,  he  came  to 
himself,  and  was  able,  but  with  great  difficulty,  to 
speak.  He  said  that  he  had  met  the  gorilla  suddenly 
face  to  face,  and  that  it  had  not  attempted  to  escape. 
'  It  was,'  he  said,  *  a  huge  male,  and  seemed  very 
savage.'  It  was  in  a  very  gloomy  part  of  the  wood, 
and  the  darkness,  I  suppose,  made  him  miss.  He 
said  he  took  good  aim,  and  fired  when  the  beast  was 
only  about  eight  yards  off.  The  ball  merely  wounded 
it  in  the  side.  It  at  once  began  beating  its  breast, 
and  with  the  greatest  rage  advanced  upon  him. 

"  To  run  away  was  impossible.  He  would  have  been 
caught  in  the  jungle  before  he  had  gone  a  dozen 
steps. 

**  He  stood  his  ground,  and  as  quickly  as  he  could 
reloaded  his  gun.     Just  as  he  raised  it  to  fire,  the 


24  THE   GORILLA. 

gorilla  daslied  it  out  of  his  hands,  the  gun  going  off  in 
the  fall;  and  then  in  an  instant,  and  with  a  terriblo 
roar,  the  animal  gave  him  a  tremendous  blow  with  its 
immense  paw,  frightfully  lacerating  the  abdomen,  and 
with  this  single  blow  laying  bare  part  of  the  intestines. 
As  he  sank  bleeding  to  the  ground,  the  monster  seized 
the  gun,  and  the  poor  hunter  thought  he  would  have 
his  brains  dashed  out  with  it;  but  the  gorilla  seemed 
to  have  looked  upon  this  also  as  an  enemy,  and  in  his 
rage  almost  flattened  the  barrel  between  his  strong 
jawsr 

"  When  we  came  upon  the  ground,  the  gorilla  was 
gone.  This  is  their  mode  when  attacked — to  strike 
one  or  two  blows,  and  then  leave  the  victims  of  their 
rage  on  the  ground,  and  go  off  into  the  woods. 

"  We  hunted  up  our  companions  and  carried  our  poor 
fellow  to  the  camp,  where  all  was  instantly  excitemeuo 
and  sorrow.  *  *  *  He  had  to  tell  the  whole  story  over 
again ;  and  the  people  declared  at  once  that  this  was 
no  true  gorilla  that  had  attacked  him,  but  a  man — a 
wicked  man  turned  into  a  gorilla.  Such  a  being  no 
man  could  escape,  they  said ;  and  it  could  not  be  killed 
even  by  the  bravest  hunters." 

He  was  killed,  nevertheless,  the  following  day ;  but 
his  victim  succumbed  some  hours  afterwards. 


■-^^i 


THE    ANIMAL    GAVE    HIM    A    TRKMKNDOLS    BLOW."  [P"yt  24. 


LABY    GOrvILLAS.  25 


IV. — Baby  Gorillas. 


M.  DU  CiiAiLLU,  who  had  killed  so  many  adult 
gorillas,  had  ncyer  taken  one  alive,  and  he  thought 
it  impossible  that  he  ever  should  do  so;  hut  for  the 
young  it  was  a  different  matter,  although  the  thing 
presented  some  difficulties. 

Some  hunters  whom  our  traveller  had  taken  into  his 
service  had  gone  out  to  heat  the  wood  on  his  account. 
There  were  five  of  them,  and  as  they  were  going  noise- 
lessly through  the  forest  they  heard  the  cry  of  a  little 
gorilla  calling  his  mother.  It  was  about  noon,  and  a 
profound  silence  reigned  around.  The  cry  was  heard 
a  second  time,  and  the  men,  knowing  what  joy  the 
capture  of  a  young  gorilla  would  cause  their  master, 
resolved  to  go  over  to  the  side  from  whence  the  sound 
proceeded.  With  their  guns  cocked  they  crept  into  the 
thicket,  where  they  soon  found  certain  signs  that  the 
mother  was  not  far  off ;  there  was  also  the  same  ground 
for  supposing  that  the  male  was  in  the  neighbourhood ; 
nevertheless,  the  brave  fellows  did  not  hesitate.  In  a 
dead  silence,  and  scarce  breathing,  they  crawled  on.  At 
a  few  yards  in  advance  of  them  the  bushes  were  shaken, 
and  soon  they  perceived  a  young  gorilla,  seated  on 
the  gTound  eating  some  berries,  and  at  a  short  distance 
sat  his  mother,  occupied  in  the  same  way.     Just   as 


26  THE   GORILLA. 

they  were  raising  their  guns  to  fire,  she  perceived  them. 
The  shots  struck  her,  and  she  fell  mortally  wounded. 

At  the  noise  of  the  discharge,  the  little  gorilla  threw 
himself  on  his  mother,  clasped  her  with  his  arms,  and 
hid  himself  in  her  bosom.  But  the  triumphant  cries 
of  the  hunters  recalled  him  to  himself,  and  he  left 
the  body  of  his  mother,  rushed  up  a  tree,  and  scram- 
bled nearly  to  the  top,  where  he  sat  howling  at  them 
savagely. 

The  blacks  were  much  embarrassed,  being  unwilling 
either  to  shoot  him  or  to  expose  themselves  to  his  bites. 
At  last  they  agreed  to  cut  down  the  tree ;  and  profiting 
by  the  surprise  of  the  little  monster  when  he  fell,  they 
threw  a  sack  over  his  head,  which,  however,  did  not 
prevent  his  giving  one  of  them  a  fearful  bite  on  the 
hand,  and  another  had  a  piece  taken  out  of  his  leg. 

As  this  little  beast,  although  very  small,  and  the 
merest  baby  for  a^e,  was  astonishingly  strong,  and  as 
nothing  would  assuage  his  fury,  they  scarcely  knew  how 
to  carry  him.  They  finished  by  fixing  his  neck  in  a 
forked  stick  in  such  a  way  as  to  keep  him  at  a  safe 
distance,  at  the  same  time  preventing  his  escape ;  and 
in  this  fashion  they  led  him  to  M.  du  Chaillu.  *'I 
cannot,"  he  writes,  *^  describe  the  emotions  which  I 
felt.  That  single  moment  recompensed  me  for  all  the 
fatigue  and  suffering  I  had  undergone  in  Africa.'' 

The  excitement  in   the  village  was   intense.     Tbo 


BABY   GOEILLAS.     '  27 

young  gorilla  roared  and  bellowed,  and  looked  around 
wildly  with  Ins  wicked  little  eyes,  giving  fair  warning 
that  if  he  could  only  get  at  some  one  he  would  take 
his  revenge.  In  two  hours  they  had  built  a  strong 
bamboo  house,  with  the  bars  sufficiently  apart  to 
enable  the  ape  to  see  and  to  be  seen.  Here  he  was 
immediately  deposited,  and  M.  du  Chaillu  enjoyed 
the  opportunity  of  tranquilly  examining  his  prize. 

*'  It  was  a  young  male,  evidently  not  yet  three  years 
old.  Its  face  and  hands  were  very  black ;  eyes  not  so 
much  sunken  as  in  the  adult.  The  hair  began  just  at 
the  eyebrows  and  rose  to  the  crown,  where  it  was  of  a 
reddish-brown.  It  came  down  the  sides  of  the  face  in 
lines  to  the  lower  jaw,  much  as  our  beards  grow.  The 
upper  lip  was  covered  with  short  coarse  hair,  the  lower 
lip  had  longer  hair.  The  eyelids  very  slight  and  thin ; 
eyebrows  straight,  and  three-quarters  of  an  inch  long. 

**  The  whole  back  was  covered  with  hair  of  an  iron- 
grey,  becoming  dark  nearer  the  arms,  and  quite  white 
about  the  anus ;  chest  and  abdomen  covered  with  hair, 
which  was  somewhat  thin  and  short  on  the  breast.  On 
the  arms  the  hair  was  longer  than  anywhere  on  the 
body,  and  of  a  greyish-black  colour,  caused  by  the  roots 
of  the  hair  being  dark  and  the  ends  whitish.  On  the 
hands  and  wrists  the  hair  was  black,  and  came  down  to 
the  second  joints  of  the  fingers,  though  one  could  see 
in  the  short  down  the  beginning  of  the  long  black  hair 


28  "       THE    GORILLA. 

wliich  lines  the  upper  parts  of  the  fingers  in  the  adult. 
The  hair  of  the  legs  was  greyish-black,  becoming 
blacker  as  it  reached  the  ankles,  the  feet  being  covered 
with  black  hair. 

*'When  I  had  the  little  fellow  safely  locked  in  his 
cage,  I  ventured  a  few  encouraging  words  to  him.  He 
stood  in  the  farthest  corner,  but  as  I  approached, 
bellowed  and  made  a  precipitate  rush  at  me,  and 
though  I  retreated  as  quickly  as  I  could,  succeeded  in 
catching  my  trousers,  which  he  grasped  with  one  of 
his  feet  and  tore,  retreating  immediately  to  the  corner 
farthest  away.  This  taught  me  caution  for  the  present, 
though  I  had  hopes  still  of  being  able  to  tame  him. 

"  He  sat  in  his  corner  looking  wickedly  out  of 
his  grey  eyes,  and  I  never  saw  a  more  morose 
or  more  ill-tempered  face  than  had  this  little 
beast. 

"  The  first  thing  was,  of  course,  to  attend  to  the 
wants  of  my  captive.  I  sent  for  some  of  the  forest 
berries,  v/hich  these  animals  are  known  to  prefer,  and 
placed  these  and  a  cup  of  water  within  his  reach. 

'^He  was  exceedingly  shy,  and  would  neither  eat  nor 
drink  till  I  had  removed  to  a  considerable  distance. 

**  The  second  day  found  Joe,  as  I  had  named  him, 
fiercer  than  the  first.  He  rushed  savagely  at  any  one 
who  stood  even  for  a  momeat  near  his  cage,  and 
seemed  ready  to  tear  us  all  to  pieces.     I  threw  him 


BABY   GOEILLAS.  29 

to-day  some  pineapple  leaves,  of  wliich  I  noticed  lie 
ate  only  the  white  parts. 

"  There  seemed  no  difficulty  about  his  food,  though 
he  refused  now — and  continued  during  his  short  life 
to  refuse — all  food,  except  such  wild  leaves  and  fruit  as 
were  gathered  from  his  native  woods  for  him. 

"The  third  day  he  was  still  morose  and  savage, 
bellowing  when  any  person  approached,  and  either 
retiring  to  a  distant  corner  or  rushing  to  attack. 

'  "  On  the  fourth  day,  while  no  one  was  near,  the  little 
rascal  succeeded  in  forcing  apart  two  of  the  bamboo 
rails  which  composed  his  cage,  and  made  his  escape. 
I  came  up  just  as  his  flight  was  discovered,  and  im- 
mediately got  all  the  negroes  together  for  pursuit,  de- 
termining to  surround  the  wood  and  recapture  him. 
Kunning  into  my  house  to  get  one  of  my  guns,  I  was 
startled  by  an  angry  growl  issuing  from  under  my  low 
bedstead.  It  was  Master  Joe,  who  lay  hid  there,  but 
anxiously  watching  my"  movements.  I  instantly  shut 
the  window^s  and  called  to  my  people  to  guard  the  door. 
When  Joe  saw  the  crowd  of  black  faces,  he  became 
furious,  and  with  his  eyes  glaring,  and  with  every  sign 
of  rage  in  his  little  face  and  body,  got  out  from 
beneath  the  bed.  We  shut  the  door  at  the  same  time, 
and  left  him  master  of  the  premises,  preferring  to 
devise  some  plan  for  his  easy  capture  rather  than  to 
expose  ourselves  to  his  terrible  teeth. 


so  THE    GOEILLA. 

**  Meantime  Joe  stood  in  the  middle  of  tlie  room,  ex- 
amining with  some  surprise  the  furniture.  I  watched 
with  fear,  lest  the  ticking  of  my  clock  should  strike  his 
ear,  and  perhaps  lead  to  an  assault  upon  that  precious 
article. 

*'  Finally,  seeing  him  quite  still,  I  despatched  some 
fellows  for  a  net,  and  opening  the  door  quickly,  threw 
this  over  his  head;  fortunately,  we  succeeded  at  the 
first  throw  in  fatally  entangling  the  young  monster, 
who  roared  frightfully,  and  struck  and  kicked  in  every 
direction  under  the  net.  I  took  hold  of  the  back  of 
his  neck,  two  men  seized  his  arms,  and  another  man 
his  legs,  and  thus  held  by  four  men,  this  extraordinary 
little  creature  still  proved  most  troublesome.  We 
carried  him  as  quicldy  as  we  could  to  the  cage,  which 
had  been  repaired,  and  there  once  more  locked  him  in. 
I  never  saw  so  furious  a  beast  in  my  life  as  he  was ; 
he  darted  at  every  one  who  came  near,  bit  the  bamboos 
of  the  house,  glared  at  us  with  venomous  and  sullen 
eyes,  and  in  every  motion  showed  a  temper  thoroughly 
wicked  and  malicious ;  and  as  there  was  no  change  in 
this  for  two  days  thereafter,  but  continual  moroseness, 
I  tried  what  starvation  would  do  towards  breaking  his 
spirit.  It  also  began  to  be  troublesome  to  procure  his 
food  from  the  woods,  and  I  wanted  him  to  become 
accustomed  to  civilized  food,  which  was  placed  before 
him.     But  he  would  touch  nothing  of  the  kind ;  and 


BABY    GOBILLAS.  31 

as  for  temper,  after  starving  Lim  twenty-four  hours,  all 
I  gained  was  that  he  came  slowly  up  and  took  some 
berries  from  the  forest  out  of  my  hand,  immediately 
retreating  to  his  corner  to  eat  them. 

*^  Daily  attention  from  me  for  a  fortnight  more  did  not 
bring  any  further  confidence  from  him  than  this.  *  *  * 
At  the  end  of  this  fortnight  I  came  one  day  to  feed 
him,  and  found  that  he  had  gnawed  a  bamboo  to  pieces 
slyly,  and  again  made  his  escape.  Luckily,  he  had  but 
just  gone.  As  I  looked  around  I  caught  sight  of  Master 
Joey  making  off  on  all-fours,  and  with  great  speed, 
across  the  little  prairie  for  a  clump  of  trees. 

''I  called  the  men  up,  and  we  gave  chase.  *  *  *  He 
did  not  ascend  a  tree,  but  stood  defiantly  at  the  border 
of  the  wood.  About  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  us  sur- 
rounded him.  As  we  moved  up  he  began  to  yell,  and 
made  a  sudden  dash  at  a  poor  fellow  who  was  in 
advance,  who,  as  he  ran,  tumbled  down  in  a  fright,  and 
by  his  fall  escaped,  but  also  detained  Joe  sufiiciently 
long  for  the  nets  to  be  brought  to  bear  upon  him. 

"Four  of  us  again  bore  him  struggling  into  the 
village.  This  time  I  would  not  trust  him  to  the  cage, 
but  had  a  little  light  chain  fastened  round  his  neck. 
This  operation  he  resisted  with  all  his  might,  and  it 
took  us  quite  an  hour  to  securely  chain  the  little  fellow, 
whose  strength  was  something  marvellous. 

*  *  *  "To  the  last  he  continued  utterly  untame* 


82  THE   GORILLA. 

able ;  and,  after  his  chains  were  on,  added  the  vice  of 
treachery  to  his  others. 

'^  He  would  come  sometimes  quite  readily  to  eat  out  of 
my  hand,  but  while  I  stood  by  him  would  suddenly — 
looking  me  all  the  time  in  the  face,  to  keep  my  atten- 
tion— put  out  his  foot  and  grasp  my  leg.  Several 
times  he  tore  my  pantaloons  in  this  manner,  quick 
retreat  on  my  part  saving  my  person,  till  at  last  I  was 
obliged  to  be  very  careful  in  my  approaches. 

^'  The  negroes  could  not  come  near  him  at  all  without 
setting  him  in  a  rage. 

*^  After  he  was  chained,  I  filled  a  half-barrel  with  hay, 
and  set  it  near  him  for  his  bed.  He  recognized  its  use 
at  once,  and  it  was  pretty  to  see  him  shake  up  the  hay 
and  creep  into  this  nest  when  he  was  tired.  At  night 
he  always  again  shook  it  up,  and  then  took  some  hay 
in  his  hands,  with  which  he  would  cover  himself  when 
he  was  snug  in  his  barrel.  Ten  days  after  he  was  thus 
chained  he  died  suddenly.  He  was  in  good  health,  and 
ate  plentifully  of  his  natural  food,  which  was  brought 
every  day  for  him.  He  did  not  seem  to  sicken  until 
two  days  before  his  death,  and  died  in  some  pain." 

Some  months  later  he  was  replaced  by  another  one. 
This  time  M.  du  Chaillu  took  part  in  the  capture  of 
the  young  animal. 

^*  We  were  walking  along  in  silence,  when  I  heard  a 
cry,  and  presently  saw  before  me  a  female  gorilla,  with 


BABY   GOBILLAfJ.  83 

a  tiny  baby  gorilla  liaBgiiig  at  her  breast  and  sucking. 
The  mother  was  stroking  tlio  little  one,  and  looking 
fondly  down  at  it;  and  the  scene  was  so  pretty  and 
touching,  that  I  held  my  fire,  and  considered,  like  a 
soft-hearted  fellow,  vvhether  I  had  not  better  leave 
them  in   peace. 

*' Before  I  could  make  up  my  mind,  however,  my 
hunter  fired,  and  killed  the  mother,  v/ho  fell  without 
a  struggle.  The  mother  fell,  but  the  baby  clung  to 
her,  and  with  pitiful  cries  endeavoured  to  attract  her 
attention.  I  came  up,  and  when  it  saw  me  it  hid 
its  poor  little  head  in  its  mother's  breast;  it  could 
neither  walk  nor  bite,  so  we  could  easily  manage  it, 
and  I  carried  it  while  the  men  bore  the  mother  on 
a  pole.  When  we  got  to  the  village,  another  scene 
ensued.  The  men  put  the  body  down,  and  I  set  the 
little  fellow  near.  As  soon  as  he  sav/  his  mother, 
he  crawled  to  her  and  threw  himself  on  her  breast. 
He  did  not  find  his  accustomed  nourishment,  and  I 
saw  that  he  perceived  something  was  the  matter  with 
the  old  one.  He  crawled  over  her  body,  smelt  at  it, 
and  gave  utterance  from  time  to  time  to  a  plaintive 
cry,  '  hoo,  hoo,  hoo  ! '  which  touched  my  heart. 

*'  I  could  get  no  milk  for  the  poor  little  fellov/,  who 
could  not  eat,  and  consequently  died  on  the  third 
day  after  he  Vv^as  caught.  He  seemed  more  docile 
than  the  other  I  had,  for  he  already  recognized  my 

D 


34  THE    GORILLA. 

voice,  and  would  try  to  hurry  towards  me  when  he 
saw  me.'' 

A  thh'd  time  M.  du  Chaillu  succeeded  in  procuring 
a  young  living  gorilla,  under  the  following  circum- 
stances : — 

He  had  been  hunting  for  about  an  hour,  when 
the  cry  of  a  young  gorilla  calling  to  his  mother 
was  heard.  Two  men,  who  were  in  advance,  and 
who  were  well  accustomed  to  life  in  the  woods, 
knelt  down  and  crawled  through  the  bushes ;  about 
half  an  hour  afterwards  two  shots  were  heard.  M. 
du  Chaillu  ran  and  found  the  mother  shot  dead, 
but  the  young  one  had  saved  itself  in  the  woods. 

They  concealed  themselves  in  order  to  wait  for  its 
return.  They  had  not  to  wait  long, — it  reappeared, 
jumped  on  its  mother,  and  began  to  suck  and  to  caress 
her.  The  hunters  rushed  upon  it  immediately,  but 
although  the  little  ajiimal  was  evidently  less  than 
two  years  old,  it  fought  with  so  much  force  that  it 
succeeded  in  escaping. 

It  was  retaken,  nevertheless ;  not,  however,  until  one 
of  the  men  had  been  severely  bitten  in  the  arm  by 
the  little  demon.  It  wcs  a  female.  When  brought 
back  to  its  mother,  it  threw  itself  upon  her,  and 
buried  its  head  in  the  maternal  bosom.  It  was  a 
touching  sight.  Unhappily,  this  little  female  only 
lived  ten   days;    she    was   not   as    ferocious    as  the 


BABY   GORILLAS.  35 

young  male  already  described,  but  slie  was  quite  as 
cunning.  When  slie  was  approached,  she  exhibited 
the  same  menacing  demonstrations.  Her  eyes,  though 
milder,  had  the  same  false  and  traitorous  look,  *^  and," 
y/rites  M.  du  Chaillu,  '^  she  had  the  same  way  as 
my  other  intractable  captive,  of  looking  you  straight 
in  the  eyes  when  she  was  meditating  an  attack.  I 
remarked,  also,  the  same  manoeuvre  practised  by  the 
other  when  she  wanted  to  seize  anything — say  my 
arm,  which,  by  reason  of  her  chain,  she  could  not 
reach  with  her  arm ;  she  looked  me  straight  in  the 
face,  then,  quick  as  a  flash,  threw  her  body  on  one 
leg  and  arm,  and  reached  out  with  the  other  leg. 
Several  times  I  had  narrow  escapes  of  a  grip  from 
her  strong  great  toe.  *  *  *  All  her  motions  were 
remarkably  quick,  and  her  strength,  though  she  was 
BO  small  and  young,  was  truly  extraordinary," 


D  2 


CHAPTER  n. 

I. — Grizzly  Beaes. 

Of  all  tliG  quadrupeds  of  America,  the  grizzly  bear  is 
the  only  one  that  is  truly  formidable,  and  therefore  his 
manners,  his  habits,  and  his  exploits  are  the  favourite 
theme  of  the  hunters  of  the  West.  His  size  is  enor- 
mous, and  his  strength  prodigious  ;  his  speed  far 
superior  to  that  of  a  man  endeavouring  to  escape  from 
him  by  flight.  His  claws  are  nearly  nine  inches  in 
length.  Although  he  is  very  fond  of  fruits,  acorns,  and 
roots,  he  is  carnivorous  as  well  as  herbivorous.  He 
attacks  the  buffalo,  fells  him  to  ihe  ground,  and  drags 
him  to  some  spot  where  he  can  feed  on  him  at  leisure. 
If  a  man  attacks  him,  he  squats  on  his  hind  paws 
and  accepts  Iho  combat ;  and  when  pressed  by  hunger, 
he  becomes  the  assailant.  When  wounded,  he  becomes 
furious,  and  then  the  tables  are  turned,  and  man  is 
hunted.  He  was  formerly  known  on  the  Missouri  and 
in  the  low  countries,  but,  like  the  tribes  of  the  prairies, 
he  has  gradually  beaten  retreat  before  the  march  of  civi- 


GRIZZLY   BEARS.  37 

lization,  and  to-day  .he  is  only  to  be  found  in  elevated 
regions, — in  the  Eocky  Mountains,  for  example,  and 
in  the  Black  Mountains,  a  great  chain  situated  about 
thirty-three  leagues  to  the  east  of  them.  There  he 
hides  himself  in  caverns,  or  in  holes  scooped  out  by 
himself  under  the  roots  and  trunks  of  fallen  trees. 

Hunters,  whether  red  or  white,  regard  the  hunting* 
of  the  bear  as  the  most  heroic  of  all  the  field  sports  on 
the  American  continent.  They  prefer  attacking  him 
on  horseback,  and  sometimes  they  approach  sufiiciently 
near  to  touch  him,  but  woe  to  the  horse  or  the  rider 
that  gets  too^  near  to  his  terrible  claws  !  The  man 
must  have  a  sure  eye  and  a  steady  hand  to  strike  the 
animal  in  a  vital  part,  for  he  is  very  difficult  to  kill ;  and 
it  very  rarely  happens  that  one  shot  kills  him,  unless  it 
passes  through  his  head  or  his  heart. 

Some  Americans  on  a  commercial  expedition  had 
one  evening  established  their  camp  at  Iho  foot  of  the 
Black  Mountains.  Soon,  from  the  numerous  footprints 
among  the  bushes,  they  discovered  that  their  tents  were 
pitched  just  in  the  very  midst  of  one  of  the  rendezvous 
of  grizzly  bears.  From  that  moment  all  the  charm  of 
the  encampment  was  destroyed. 

The  night,  however,  was  passed  very  well,  but  they 
had  sufficient  proof  next  morning  that  their  fears  had 
not  been  groundless. 

**  Amongst  the  hired  men   of  the  party  was  on© 


38  BEARS. 

William  Cannon,  who  had  been  a  soldier  at  one  of  the 
frontier  posts. 

"  He  was  an  inexperienced  hunter  and  a  poor  shot, 
for  which  he  was  much  bantered  by  his  more  adroit  com- 
rades. Piqued  at  their  raillery,  he  had  been  practising 
ever  since  he  joined  the  expedition,  but  without  success. 
One  afternoon  he  went  out  alone,  and,  to  his  great  joy, 
he  had  the  good  fortune  to  kill  a  buffalo.  Being  at  a 
considerable  distance  from  the  camp,  he  cut  out  the 
tongue  and  some  of  the  choice  bits,  made  a  packet 
of  them,  and  slinging  it  on  his  shoulders  by  a 
strap  passed  round  his  forehead,  as  travellers  carry 
packets  of  merchandise,  he  directed  his  steps  all 
glorious  for  the  camp. 

'*  In  passing  through  a  narrow  ravine  he  heard  foot- 
steps behind  him.  He  looked  round,  and  saw  to  his 
great  terror  that  he  was  followed  by  a  grizzly  bear, 
apparently  attracted  by  the  smell  of  the  meat.  Cannon 
had  heard  so  much  of  the  invulnerability  of  this  tre- 
mendous animal,  that  he  not  only  did  not  attempt  to 
fire  at  him,  but,  slipping  the  strap  from  his  forehead, 
let  go  the  buffalo-meat  and  ran  for  his  life.  The  bear, 
without  stopping  for  the  game,  pursued  the  hunter. 
He  had  nearly  overtaken  him,  when  Cannon  reached  a 
tree,  and  scrambled  up  it,  throwing  down  his  rifle. 

*^  An  instant  after,  bruin  was  at  the  foot  of  the  tree ; 
but  as  this  kind  of  bear  does  not  climb,  he  contented 


GRIZZLY   BEARS.  89 

himself  by  changing  his  pursuit  into  a  blockade. 
Night  came  on.  Poor  Cannon  could  not  know  for  cer- 
tain in  the  darkness  whether  his  enemy  remained  there 
or  not,  but  his  fears  pictured  him  rigorously  mount- 
ing guard,  and^he  passed  the  night  in  the  tree,  a  prey 
to  the  most  horrible  fancies.  At  daybreak  the  bear  was 
gone.  Cannon  warily  descended,  picked  up  his  gun, 
and  made  the  best  of  his  way  back  to  the  camp,  with- 
out troubling  himself  to  go  in  search  of  the  buffalo- 
meat." 

John  Day,  an  old  Kentucky  hunter,  accompanied  by 
one  of  the  clerks,  a  lively  youngster,  was  following  the 
trail  of  a  deer,  when  suddenly  a  huge  grizzly  bear 
emerged  from  the  thicket  at  thirty  yards  distant,  rear- 
ing himself  on  his  hind-legs  with  a  terrific  growl,  and 
displaying  a  hideous  array  of  claws  and  teeth.  The 
young  man  instantly  levelled  his  gun,  but  John  Day's 
iron  hand  was  quickly  upon  his  arm.  **  Be  quiet,  boy, 
be  quiet ! ''  said  the  hunter  between  his  clenched  teeth, 
without  turning  his  eyes  from  the  bear. 

The  two  hunters  remained  motionless.  The  mon- 
ster regarded  them  for  several  minutes,  then  dropping 
his  fore-feet,  slowly  withdrew. 

After  a  few  steps  he  turned  round,  sat  up  again,  and 
repeated  his  menaces.  Day's  hand  was  still  on  the  arm 
of  his  young  companion,  whilst  he  repeated  between 
his  teeth,   '*  Quiet  boy!   keep   quiet,  keep  quiet!"  a 


40  BEAKS. 

warning  but   little  needed,  for    the   young  man  had 
not  moved. 

At  length  the  bear  again  came  down  on  all- 
fours,  retreated  another  twenty  yards,  then  turned 
round,  showed  his  teeth,  and  growled.  This  third 
menace  was  too  much  for  the  game  spirit  of  John 
Day. 

*'By  Jove!"  exclaimed  he,  '^  I  can  stand  this  no 
longer;"  and  in  an  instant  a  ball  from  his  rifle  whizzed 
into  the  foe.  The  wound  was  not  mortal,  but  luckily 
it  dismayed  instead  of  enraging  the  animal,  and  he 
retreated  into  the  thicket. 

Day's  young  companion  reproached  him  for  not 
practising  the  caution  which  he  preached. 

*'Look  here,  my  boy,"  replied  the  veteran,  *'  caution 
is  caution ;  but  one  must  not  put  up  with  too  much, 
even  from  a  bear.  Would  you  have  me  suffer  my- 
self to  be  bullied  all  day  by  a  varmint?"* 

*'  A  hunter,  whilst  pursuing  a  deer,  fell  into  one  of 
those  deep  funnel-shaped  pits,  formed  on  the  prairies 
by  the  settling  of  the  waters  after  heavy  rains,  and 
known  by  the  name  of  sink-holes. 

'*  To  his  great  horror  he  found  himself  in  contact, 
at  the  bottom  of  the  pit,  with  a  huge  grizzly  bear. 
The  monster  grappled  him,  a  deadly  contest  ensued, 

*  Washington  Irvine's  "Astoria." 


GRIZZLY  BEARS.  41 

and  the  poor  hunter  was  severely  torn  and  bitten, 
and  had  an  arm  and  a  leg  broken,  but  succeeded  in 
killing  his  rugged  foe. 

'*For  several  days  he  remained  at  the  bottom  of 
the  pit,  too  much  crippled  to  move,  and  subsisting 
on  the  raw  flesh  of  the  bear.  At  length  he  regained 
sufiicient  strength  to  scramble  to  the  top  of  the  pit, 
and  crawling  into  a  ravine  formed  by  a  nearly  dry 
watercourse,  he  took  a  delicious  draught.  The  fresh 
water  infused  new  life  into  him.  Then  dragging 
himself  along  from  pool  to  pool,  he  sustained  him- 
self with  small  fish  and  frogs. 

*'  One  day  he  saw  a  wolf  kill  a  deer  in  the  neigh- 
bouring prairie;  he  instantly  scrambled  out  of  the 
ravine,  scared  away  the  wolf,  and,  lying  down  beside 
the  carcase  of  the  deer,  he  remained  there  until  he 
had  made  several  hearty  meals,  by  which  his  strength 
was  much  recruited. 

"Keturning  to  the  ravine,  he  followed  the  water- 
course to  a  point  where  it  grew  to  be  a  considerable 
stream.  He  descended  this  river,  allowing  himself 
to  be  guided  by  the  current,  and  just  at  the  point 
where  it  emptied  into  the  Mississippi,  he  found  a 
f  illen  tree,  which  he  launched  with  some  difficulty, 
and  getting  astride  of  it,  committed  himself  to  the 
current  of  the  mighty  river.  In  this  way  he  floated  along 
until  he  arrived  opposite  the  Fort  at  Council  Blufis. 


*# 


42  BEARS. 

"  Happily,  he  arrived  by  daylight,  otherwise  he  might 
have  passed  this  solitary  post  unperceived,  and  have 
perished  in  the  idle  waste  of  waters.  Being  descried 
from  the  Fort,  a  canoe  was  sent  to  his  relief,  and  he 
was  brought  to  shore  more  dead  than  alive,  where  he 
soon  recovered  of  his  wounds,  but  remained  maimed 
^or  life."* 


II. — The  Brown  Bear. 

The  manner  in  which  the  Kussian  peasants  hunt  this 
bear  is  worthy  of  description.  The  weapon  of  the 
Fins  is  a  lance.  At  about  a  foot  from  the  point  a 
bar  of  iron  is  fixed  crosswise,  the  object  being  to 
prevent  the  lance  from  penetrating  too  deeply  into 
the  body  of  the  animal,  and  causing  him,  pierced 
through  and  through,  to  fall  upon  the  hunter. 

When  this  latter  has  discovered  the  bear's  winter 
quarters,  he  posts  himself,  with  his  dog,  near  the 
entrance.  The  dog  barks,  the  man  shouts,  and  both 
making  the  greatest  noise  possible,  endeavour  to 
irritate  the  solitary  animal  and  bring  him  out  of 
his  den. 

For   a  long  time   the   bear   hesitates,  but   at   last, 

*  living's  "Journey  in  the  Prairies." 


„..,....,., 


THE    BKOWN   BEAR.  43 

tired  of  these  provocations,  he  rushes*  out  in  great 
fury. 

At  sight  of  the  peasant  he  rises  on  his  hams 
and  springs  forth;  but  the  Fin  is  ready  for  him, 
holding  in  front  the  iron  point  of  his  lance  pressed 
against  his  breast,  and  carefully  concealing  the  stem, 
in  order  that  the  length  of  the  weapon  may  not 
arouse  the  suspicion  of  the  animal,  who  otherwise 
would  parry  with  his  paws  the  blow  which  the 
hunter  is  ready  to  give  him.  The  latter  walks 
straight  up  to  the  encounter,  and,  when  the  distance 
between  them  is  so  little  that  the  monster,  extending 
his  arms,  is  on  the  point  of  reaching  him,  suddenly 
the  weapon  is  darted  forth,  with  a  firm  hand  and  a 
sure  eye,  through  the  heart  of  the  bear. 

Had  the  bar  of  iron  not  been  placed  thus  crosswise, 
the  animal,  although  mortally  wounded,  would  have 
fallen  on  the  man  and  have  done  him  serious  injury, 
but  this  bar  arrests  him  in  his  spring,  and  the  hunter 
soon  turns  him  over.  ''  What  will  seem  extraordi- 
nary,'' says  a  naturalist,  "  is  that  the  bear,  instead  of 
endeavouring  to  tear  out  the  lance,  holds  it  tightly 
with  his  paws,  and  forces  it  more  deeply  into  the 
wound." 

This  triumph  is  concluded  by  a  little  fete,  at  which 
there  is  always  present  a  poet  to  sing  the  valour  of 
the  hunter. 


44  BEARS. 

The  wearing  of  bearskins,  like  that  of  furs,  is  not 
always  free  from  inconvenience,  and  I  shall  not  wander 
from  my  subject  in  citing,  as  a  projoos,  an  episode 
from  the  *^  Voyage  d'Acerbi." 

He  was  crossing  in  a  sledge  the  Gulf  of  Finland, 
which  was  entirely  frozen  over. 

"I  expected,"  he  writes,  *Ho  have  to  cross  a  limit- 
less' and  monotonous  plain.  What  was  my  astonish- 
ment, my  admiration — even  my  fright,  the  farther 
we  got  from  our  point  of  departure !  Enormous 
*  masses  of  ice,  heaped  up  one  above  another,  some- 
times in  the  form  of  rocks,  sometimes  of  pointed 
pyramids !  What  detours  we  had  to  make,  in 
order  to  avoid  these  groups  of  ice  which  barred 
our  way!  In  spite  of  all  precautions,  our  sledges 
upset  one  after  the  other,  and  constantly  brought 
the  caravan  to  a  stand.  One  circumstance,  im- 
possible to  foresee,  increased  the  dangers  which 
surrounded  us.  The  sight  of  our  long  pelisses,  made 
of  Kussian  wolf  or  bearskins,  and  the  odour  which 
they  exhaled,  frightened  some  of  our  horses,  and  made 
them  furious.  When  it  became  necessary  to  disengage 
ourselves  from  our  upset  sledges,  the  horses  perceived 
us,  and  taking  us  for  the  animals  with  whose  skins  we 
were  covered,  would  plunge  in  their  harness,  or  start 
oS  at  full  gallop.  The  peasant,  fearing  to  lose  his 
horse,   would   cling  to   the  bridle,  and   rather  than 


THE   BROWN   BEAR.  45 

let  go,  would  allow  himself,  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  to 
be  dragged  over  the  rough  ice  until  his  horse  was 
stopped. 

"  Then  we  would  regain  our  sleighs,  and  the  conduc- 
tor, taught  by  experience,  would  take  the  precaution  to 
bandage  the  eyes  of  his  horses.  One  of  these  animals, 
nevertheless,  the  fiercest  and  most  spirited  in  our 
caravan,  took  fright,  and  managed  to  escape  altogether. 
The  peasant  who  was  driving  him,  after  being  dragged 
over  the  ice  for  a  long  time,  at  last  let  go  the  bridle, 
and  then  the  horse,  free  from  all  restraint,  redoubled 
his  speed  and  broke  through  all  obstacles ;  the  sledge 
which  he  was  carrying  away,  bounding  over  the  ice, 
added  to  his  fright  and  lent  wings  to  his  speed.  Wo 
followed  him  for  a  long  time  with  our  eyes,  until  at 
length  he  was  lost  in  the  horizon.  We  saw  him  again 
and  again,  as  he  surmounted  the  frozen  waves,  like 
a  black  speck,  gradually  diminishing,  till  at  last  ho 
totally  disappeared.  His  master  took  a  reserve  sledge, 
and  started  off  in  pursuit,  flattering  himself  that 
he  should  find  him  by  following  in  his  track.  For 
ourselves,  we  continued  our  route  towards  the  Isle  of 
Aland,  taking,  as  well  as  we  could,  the  middle  of  the 
smoothest  passages,  not,  however,  without  being 
frequently  upset,  and  in  danger  of  losing  one  or 
other  of  our  horses,  which  would  have  caused  us 
no  small  embarrassment.'' 


46  BExVRS. 

III. — The  White  Bear. 

The  white  bear  enjoys  a  reputation  for  ferocity  which 
does  not  yield  to  that  of  the  grizzly,  and  his  character 
will  not  be  changed  for  the  better  by  what  we  are  about 
to  tell  of  him. 

A  ship  returning  from  Nova  Zembla  having  cast 
anchor  off  one  of  the  islands  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Strait  of  Waigatz,  two  sailors  had  the  curiosity  to 
visit  that  island. 

After  walking  about  there  for  some  time,  they  sat 
down  on  the  shore,  in  sight  of  the  vessel. 

They  were  chatting  tranquilly  together  when  one 
of  them  suddenly  felt  himself  seized  forcibly  by  the 
back  of  the  neck. 

He  at  first  supposed  it  to  be  one  of  those  rough 
jokes  in  which  sailors  sometimes  indulge.  '*  Who  is 
squeezing  me  so  ?  '*  cried  he. 

The  other  sailor,  turning  round,  uttered  a  cry  of 
alarm — '^  Oh,  my  God,  it  is  a  bear ! "  and  he  ran 
away. 

It  was,  in  fact,  an  enormous  but  very  lean  white  bear, 
which  had  stealthily  approached  the  two  mariners,  and 
which  soon  made  a  corpse  of  the  one  who  had  fallen 
into  his  clutches. 

Aroused  by  the  desperate  cries  of  the  other,  the 
ship's  crew,  armed  with  pikes  and  guns,  threw  them- 


THE   WHITE  ^EAE.  47 

selves  into  the  boats,  landed  on  the  island,  and  went 
straight  to  the  bear  gloating  on  his  prey. 

The  bear  saw  them  approach  without  moving  and 
without  discontinuing  his  repast ;  and  when  they  had 
approached  near  him,  he  started  up,  and  rushing  upon 
them,  seized  one  by  the  middle  of  his  body,  and 
throwing  him  down,  dragged  him  away  in  sight  of 
his  stupefied  companions,  and  tore  him  to  pieces  with 
his  teeth ! 

At  this  sight  a  panic  arose  amongst  the  sailors, 
and  they  ran  away  much  faster  than  they  came,  threw 
themselves  into  their  boats,  and,  full  of  terror, 
scrambled  into  the  vessel. 

Once  in  safety,  courage  returned  to  them  ;  and  feel- 
ing ashamed  of  themselves,  and  intensely  excited,  the 
proposition  was  made  to  return  in  a  body  to  land,  and 
attack  the  ferocious  animal,  wherever  they  might  en- 
counter him. 

Notwithstanding,  some  of  them  protested ;  and  their 
sage  discourse  is  worthy  of  being  transcribed  as  the 
historian  gives  it : — 

^*  Our  comrades  are  dead,"  said  they  ;  '^  we  cannot 
bring  them  to  life  again ;  there  is  no  longer  any  hope 
of  saving  them.  We  shall  not  go  to  encounter  their 
murderer,  but  to  see  their  limbs  scattered  hither  and 
thither,  and  to  renew  our  grief  at  sight  of  their  broken 
bones  and  torn  flesh.     What  honour  can  there  be  in 


48  BEAES. 

running  after  an  inglorious  victory,  which  must  be 
bought  at  the  price  of  a  thousand  dangers  ? " 

How  many  were  there  whom  this  eloquence  did  not 
touch  ? — Three  !  They  started  at  the  same  instant, 
trusting  to  nothing  but  their  courage,  and  very  sure 
of  having  no  assistance. 

Crouching  over  the  two  bodies,  the  conqueror  was 
about  to  profit  by  his  victory.  They  advanced,  and, 
apparently  at  too  great  a  distance,  they  fired  several 
times  without  touching  him.  Then  the  bravest  man 
of  the  three,  separating  from  the  others,  approached 
nearer,  and  taking  good  aim,  he  hit  the  bear  a 
little  above  the  eye,  the  ball  passing  through  his 
head. 

The  bear  did  not  fall ;  he  did  not  even  leave  his  prey. 
Far  from  that,  he  arose,  and  holding  the  body  by  the 
neck,  fled  away.  He  had  only  gone  a  few  steps, 
however,  when  they  saw  him  stagger,  and  the  sailors 
attacked  him  with  their  sabres. 

The  terrible  beast  fell  at  length,  but  he  did  not  leave 
hold  of  his  man  until  they  had  plunged  a  sword  into 
his  mouth,  and  given  him  the  coup  de  grace. 

Then  the  brave  fellows  gathered  the  remains  of 
their  comrades,  and  buried  them  on  the  island,  in 
presence  of  the  whole  crew,  who  could  now  land  with- 
out the  fear  of  breaking  the  rules  of  prudence. 

The   skin   of   the  bear  -was   awarded  to   the   man 


THE   WHITE    BEAB.     A,    -^  •    *49 

who  first  struck  him;  it  measured  thirte^i^eet  in 
length.  ^'^' 

Here  is  another  story  to  show  that  the  white  bear 
dies  a  hard  death  : —  ^**iiL 

We  are  on  board  the  ship  of  Captain  Jonge  Kees. 
It  is  evening.  They  had  been  cutting  up  a  large 
quantity  of  whale  blubber  during  the  evening.  The 
captain  and  crew,  overcome  by  fatigue,  had  retired  to 
rest.  No  one  remained  on  deck  but  the  ordinary 
watch.  The  ship  was  made  fast  to  a  bank  of  ice.  On 
that  bank  the  men  on  duty  saw  a  bear  lying  down, 
and  apparently  asleep. 

''Let  us  go  and  surprise  him,"  said  they;  and  off 
they  went,  as  quietly  as  possible,  in  order  not  to 
awake  any  one.  But  they  could  not  avoid  making 
some  noise  in  detaching  the  boat.  The  captain,  who 
only  slept  with  one  ear,  heard  them  :  he  had  just 
been  dreaming  of  a  whale,  and  thinking  they  had 
discovered  one,  he  arose,  went  on  deck,  and  learning 
what  was  the  matter,  and  having  verified  the  fact  with 
his  telescope,  and  judging  that  one  boat  would  not 
suffice,  he  armed  another,  and  started  off  with  his  men. 

The  bear  saw  this  little  army  approaching  without 
at  first  showing  any  disquietude ;  but  when  the  boats 
were  close  upon  the  bank,  without  waiting  longer,  he 
quitted  his  place  and  plunged  into  the  water. 

They  followed  him  with  the  utmost  speed,  and  soon 

E 


50  BEARS. 

gaining  on  liim,  the  captain  had  the  honour  of 
striking  the  first  blow  with  the  spear,  which  pierced 
his  entrails. 

They  might  have  redoubled  their  blows,  but  as  it  was 
his  skin  they  most  wanted,  and  they  were  fearful  of 
damaging  it,  they  resolved  to  give  him  time  to  die 
of  that  first  wound,  which  could  not  be  long. 

Nevertheless,  the  animal  continued  to  swim,  reached 
a  little  island  which  arose  only  about  five  feet  above 
the  water,  and  began  to  climb  up,  to  the  astonishment 
of  the  sailors,  who  could  not  believe  him  capable  of 
making  such  an  effort ;  he  squatted  himself  down 
there,  with  his  muzzle   on  his  fore-paws. 

Then  the  captain  became  impatient.  He  steered  on 
to  the  island,  landed,  and  with  a  long  lance  he  prepared 
to  strike  a  second  blow.  The  bear,  which  he  thought 
was  nearly  dead,  roared,  and  making  a  gigantic  bound, 
fell  on  him,  and  placing  one  paw  on  his  side  and  the 
other  on  his  breast,  showed  him  two  rows  of  white  teeth. 

He  remained  in  that  position,  which  a  painter  would 
have  paid  dear  to  see,  looking  at  the  man  as  if  he  de- 
sired (says  the  report  from  which  we  quote)  to  give 
him  time  to  consider  all  the  horror  of  the  punishment, 
and  to  lengthen  out  his  cruel  vengeance. 

The  crew  (continues  the  report)  no  sooner  saw  the 
imminent  danger  of  their  chief,  than  they  shouted  with 
all  their  might  towards  the  ship  for  more  help.     But  a 


THS    WHITE    BEAE.  51 

sailor,  wlio  did  not  expect  that  the  bear  would  have 
the  complaisance  to  await  the  arrival  of  assistance, 
scrambled  on  to  the  island,  and,  armed  with  a  boat- 
hook,  ran  to  the  defence  of  the  captain,  and  attacked 
the  bear.  The  boat-hook  was  a  weapon  very  badly 
chosen.  Happily,  at  sight  of  this  new  adversary,  the 
animal  took  flight.  The  captain  had  not  even  a 
scratch. 

A  reinforcement  arrived  from  the  ship,  and  they  took 
counsel  together. 

The  bear  had  not  gone  far,  and  was  sitting  on  an  ice- 
bank.  They  attacked  him  at  first  with  their  guns,  and 
then  with  spears,  until  at  length  he  succumbed,  but 
not  until  the  whole  crew  had  joined  in  the  attack. 


E 


CHAPTEE  in. 


"  Sitting  by  the  camp  fire  in  the  forests  of  the  Don, 
I  have  sometimes  heard  a  deep  low  moan,  like  the 
rumbling  of  falling  earth.  The  native  servants  would 
exchange  glances  of  intelligence,  and,  affrighted,  would 
cease  their  gossip  on  the  price  of  corn ;  and  then  the 
conversation  would  soon  turn  on  the  innumerable  cases 
of  death  or  of  wounds  caused  by  the  fiercest  and  most 
subtle  enemy  that  the  sportsman  can  encounter  in 
India." 

Thus  Captain  Dunlop,  of  the  Indian  army,  expresses 
himself  at  the  end  of  his  recitals  of  the  chase  in  the 
Himalayas.* 

It  is  by  this  plaintive  sigh  that  the  royal  tiger  makes 
known  his  presence  to  the  hosts  of  the  forest.  In  com- 
pany with  other  animals  of  his  species,  he  caterwauls 
like  a  gigantic  Tom-oat.  His  springs,  when  charging, 
are  accompanied  by  a  series  of  rapid  frightful,  cough- 
like growls  ;  *'  But,"  says  the  Captain,  ''  I  have  heard 

*  "Hunting  in  tlie  Himalayas." 


THE    TIGEE.  53 

a  bear  making  nearly  the  same  noise  ;  '*  and  M.  Louis 
Viardot  says  the  same.* 

With  one  blow  of  his  paw  he  will  break  the  back  of 
an  ox,  and  will  carry  him  afterwards  as  a  cat  carries  a 
mouse,  and  apparently  without  effort ;  and  it  rarely 
happens  that  the  limbs  of  the  victim  touch  the  ground. 


II. 

Mounted  on  elephants,  some  Europeans,  among  whom 
were  some  indigo  planters  and  officers  of  a  native  regi- 
ment, left  Bombay,  intending  to  devote  some  time  to 
the  noble  pleasure  of  tiger  hunting.  They  had  not  yet 
reached  the  skirt  of  the  forest,  when  the  noise  of  their 
march  aroused  a  huge  tigress,  which,  far  from  flying, 
attacked  furiously  the  line  of  elephants.  One  of  these 
animals,  seeing  the  tiger  for  the  first  time,  was  fright- 
ened, and  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  the  hunter  who  rode 
him,  turned  tail  on  the  terrible  beast.  Seeing  this,  the 
tigress  rushed  in  pursuit,  leaped  on  the  elephant's 
back,  seized  the  hunter  by  the  thigh,  dragged  him  to 
the    ground,    and,   throwing  him    over   her  shoulders 


*  "  The  bear  advanced  resolutely,  in  a  straight  line,  the  head 
raised,  and  uttered  at  intervals  a  blusterous  hissing,  like  that 
which  a  cat  makes  when  barked  at  by  a  dog." — Souvenirs  de 
Chasse,  p.  791. 


54  THE    TIGEB. 

as  easily  as  a  fox  would  have  thrown  a  fowl,  bounded 
off  towards  the  forest.  All  the  guns  were  at  once 
directed  towards  her,  but  no  hunter  dared  to  fire,  in 
the  fear  of  hitting  their  unfortunate  comxDanion. 

They  were  soon  out  of  sight,  but  they  could  follow 
by  the  trace  of  blood  shed  by  the  victim.  Soon  these 
traces  became  more  and  more  indistinct,  and,  arrived 
in  the  heart  of  the  forest,  not  knowing  on  which  side 
to  direct  their  steps,  the  hunters,  in  despair,  were 
about  to  give  up  the  pursuit,  when  at  the  very  moment 
they  least  expected  it,  they  perceived  the  tigress  and 
her  prey,  both  extended  in  the  high  grass.  The  beast 
was  dead.  The  man,  with  his  eyes  wide  open,  was 
still  conscious,  but  his  thigh  remained  in  the  jaws 
of  the  tigress,  and  he  was  too  feeble  to  reply  to  the 
questions  of  his  friends.  It  was  necessary,  in  order 
to  release  him  from  his  terrible  position,  to  cut  off  the 
head  of  the  animal,  and  to  disjoint  her  jaws. 

Fortunately,  a  surgeon  was  present,  and  the  best  care 
was  given  to  the  wounded,  and  he  was  conveyed  to  the 
nearest  dwelling  from  the  theatre  of  this  frightful  scene. 

When  he  had  sufiiciently  regained  his  strength, 
he  related  his  adventure  thus : — Stunned  by  his 
fall,  weakened  by  loss  of  blood  and  by  pain,  he  had 
fainted  a  few  seconds  after  the  tigress  seized  him. 
When  he  regained  consciousness  he  found  himself  on 
the  back  of  the  animal,  which  was  trotting  at  a  rapid 


THE    TIGER.  C5 

pace  towards  the  thicket.  Every  second  his  face  and 
his  hands  were  torn  by  the  bushes  through  which  the 
tigress  carried  him.  His  death  appeared  to  him 
certain,  and  he  remained  motionless,  resigned  to  his 
fate.  Then  the  thought  struck  him  that  he  had  in  his 
belt  a  pair  of  pistols.  He  seized  one  of  them,  and 
pointing  it  at  the  animal's  head,  he  fired.  The  tigress 
shook  violently,  her  teeth  were  pressed  more  deeply 
into  the  flesh  of  her  victim,  and  that  was  all.  The 
poor  fellow  fainted  again.  When  he  came  to  himself 
once  more,  wishing  to  try  his  last  chance,  he  took  his 
second  pistol,  and  this  time  aimed  under  the  shoulder- 
blade,  in  the  direction  of  the  heart,  and  the  tigress  fell 
dead,  without  a  struggle  or  a  groan,  whilst  the  hunter, 
exhausted  by  this  last  effort,  had  not  even  strength  to 
shout  to  his  friends  when  he  heard  them  approach. 


III. 

Let  us  return  to  Captain  Dunlop. 

He  started  one  morning  from  the  camp  of  Jubrawalla, 
on  the  banks  of  the   Soosv/a,  accompanied  by  Major 

H .      They  had  with  them  seven  elephants.      Near 

this  spot  was  a  piece  of  land  covered  with  young 
cotton  plants  and  thick  boxwood  bushes.  As  the 
hunters  were  crossing  this  ground,  they  perceived  the 
carcase   of   an  ox,  partly  devoure'd   by  some   animal, 


56  THE    TIGEB 

which  to  all  appearances  had  only  just  quitted  his 
feast.  The  ground  was  too  hard  to  judge  of  tho 
animal  from  the  footprints.  Nevertheless,  they  im- 
mediately formed  in  line,  and  the  hunt  commenced 
along  a  dry  trench,  partly  covered  hy  the  jungle.  At 
the  first  turn  of  the  route  an  animal  sprang  out  of  the 
ditch,  and  for  a  second  stood  on  the  ojDposite  hank,  at 
a  distance  of  sixty  yards  from  the  hunters.  A  ghoorka 
declared  that  it  was  a  calf;  hut  it  proved  to  he  a 
full-grown  tigress. 

Pursuit  commenced  immediately.  The  animal  rushed 
across  a  large  piece  of  ground,  on  which  the  grass  had 
heen  burnt,  but  the  most  that  it  could  do,  being  gorged 
with  food,  was  to  keep  just  in  advance  of  the  line  of 
the  seven  elephants,  which  were  rushing  forward  at 
their  utmost  speed. 

The  tigress  charged  straight  through  a  herd  of 
cattle,  which  immediately  dispersed.  At  length,  after 
a  race  of  about  two  miles,  she  reached  a  part  of  the 
jungle  which  crossed  a  deep  nullah,  and  the  hunt 
began  again.  *'  Scarcely  had  I  entered  that  part  of 
the  jungle  which  I  was  about  to  search,  when  I  saw 
her  under  a  bush,  crouching  down,  ready  to  make  a 
spring ;  and  firing  one  barrel  straight  between  her  eyes, 
she  rolled  over  into  the  nullah.  She  threw  herself 
repeatedly  against  the  side  in  her  attempts  to  remount, 
but  failed  to  accomplish  it,   all  troubled  as  she  was 


THE    TIGER.  57 

from  the  effects  of  my  ball,  wliicli  had  made  a  large 
fracture  in  her  skull,  grazed  the  brain,  and  caused  an 
overflowing  of  blood  in  the  throat.  The  shot  was  fatal, 
for  it  was  impossible  for  her  to  leave  the  place ;  and 

K ,  who  came  up  soon  afterwards,  despatched  her 

with  a  ball  behind  the  ear.'* 

The  carcase  was  hoisted  on  one  of  the  elephants ; 
not,  however,  without  the  latter  protesting  by  sundry 
imprecations  and  objections  after  his  fashion. 

Another  time  (it  was  in  1855,  at  the  famous  fair  of 
Hurdwar)  two  or  three  millions  of  people,  from  all 
parts  of  India, — Thibet,  the  Punjaub,  Affghanistan, 
and  Persia,  were  assembled  at  this  religious  and  com- 
mercial rendezvous ;  and  Captain  Dunlop  was  present 
as  superintendent  of  the  mountain  district. 

The  second  day  a  native  came  to  tell  him  that  in  the 
very  midst  of  that  immense  assembly  a  tiger  had  just 
struck  down  a  man.  The  Captain  immediately  dis- 
tributed rifles  amongst  some  officers  who  were  on  a  visit 
near  him,  and  they  started  off",  to  the  number  of  seven. 
Unfortunately,  there  was  no  hunting  elephant  in  the 
camp,  and  they  were  obliged  to  content  themselves 
with  three  saddle  elephants,  although  it  was  almost 
certain  that  they  would  turn  tail  at  the  critical  mo- 
ment. Each  elephant  carried  two  hunters,  and  the 
seventh,  Mr.  0.  Bradford,  rode  on  horseback. 

At  the  distance  of  about  500  yards  they  found  the 


58  THE    TIGER. 

unfortunate  countryman,  with  his  skull  fractured  and 
his  brains  uncovered.  A  little  farther  on  they  were 
shown,  in  the  midst  of  a  field  of  wheat,  a  thicket  about 
thirty  yards  square.  It  was  from  this  thicket  that 
the  tiger  had  thrown  himself  upon  his  victim,  and 
there  also  he  had  taken  refuge. 

Some  thousands  of  the  natives,  seeing  the  hunters, 
united  together  around  the  place,  enclosing  the  tiger 
in  a  living  circle.  It  was  fortunate  for  Mr.  Dunlop  and 
his  friends  that  they  were  mounted  on  the  elephants, 
for  on  foot  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  discharge 
their  guns  without  wounding  some  one  in  the  crowd. 
Now  let  the  narrator  speak : — 

*^  Our  feline  friend,  evidently  arrived  at  a  pitch  of 
lively  excitement,  did  not  await  our  arrival,  but  charged 
upon  us  of  his  own  accord  with  a  cry  of  rage. 

"  The  three  elephants  with  one  accord  faced  about, 
and  ran  one  against  the  other,  screaming  and  crying 
with  fright,  whilst  Bradford  danced  around  them  on 
my  chestnut,  *Waverley.'  Several  shots  were  never- 
theless fired  by  our  quadrille,  and  with  some  success, 
inasmuch  as  whilst  neither  of  us  was  hit,  one  ball 
was  sent  through  the  fore-leg  of  the  tiger  just  in  time 
to  stop  short  his  charge,  and  to  send  him  back  into 
the  cover. 

*'An  active  struggle  now  began  between  the  elephants 
and  their  drivers,  seeing  that  no  force,  moral  or  phy- 


THE    TIGER.  59 

sical,  no  caressing  or  spurring,  could  induce  them 
to  form  in  line,  to  beat  the  thicket  out  of  which  had 
come  the  monster  which  had  so  troubled  their  minds. 

**  At  last,  pell-mell,  and  driven  like  sheep,  they  ad- 
vanced to  about  fifty  yards  from  the  thicket,  guided 
only  by  the  violent  blows  of  the  anlms,  when  a  second 
roar  from  the  tiger  served  as  a  prelude  to  a  fresh 
charge  with  all  his  speed. 

"  This  would  doubtless  have  been,  from  the  manner 
in  which  it  was  made,  a  flight  to  his  lair,  but  luckily, 
amongst  the  numerous  shots  fired  from  the  howdahs, 
which  were  rolling  and  pitching  like  boats  on  the  sea, 
a  ball,  fired  by  Melville,  struck  the  tiger's  shoulder, 
which  sent  him  rolling  at  four  feet  from  Grant's 
elephant,  where  we  saw  him  lying  on  his  back,  with 
his  hind-legs  paralyzed,  and  performing  the  exercise 
of  a  pugilist  with  his  fore-legs.  The  roars  of  the 
elephants,  the  howling  of  the  tiger,  and  the  cries  of 
the  crowd,  produced  such  a  confusion,  that  Melville's 
elephant  faced  completely  round  and  took  to  his  heels. 

"  The  hurrah  which  followed  the  fall  of  the  tiger 
had  scarcely  subsided  when  he  arose,  and,  balanc- 
ing himself,  attempted  to  spring  forward  a  few 
yards,  principally  by  means  of  his  fore-paws.  He 
repeated  this  manoeuvre  at  each  discharge :  it  seemed 
as  if  each  ball  had  a  revivifying  effect  on  his  system, 
like  sal  volatile.     He  had  risen  for  the  last  time,  when 


60  THE    TIGER. 

some  of  us  descended  from  our  elephants  to  examine 
him  more  closely. 

*^  He  was  found  to  be  a  male,  and  one  of  the  largest 
I  had  ever  seen:" 


IV. 

Anotheb  hunter,  and  similar  stories.  Our  guide  is 
now  M.  Thomas  Anquetil.  The  scene  is  in  Birmah, 
at  some  miles  from  Ngnyoun-goo,  in  a  forest,  in  the 
centre  of  which  a  lake  occupies  the  place  of  an  ancient 
monastery  which  had  been  destroyed  by  an  earth- 
quake.    This  lake  is  covered  by  water-fowl. 

Accompanied    by   a    European,    M.    le    Baron    do 

L ,    his    servants,    and   a   few   natives,    amongst 

whom  was  one  named  Laos,  M.  Thomas  Anquetil 
went  out  hunting. 

Going  along  by  the  side  of  the  lake  on  foot,  the 
narrator  separated  from  his  companions,  and  followed 
only  by  an  Indian  rower,  who  had  charge  of  his  rifle, 
had  just  fired  both  barrels  on  a  flight  of  birds.  The 
Indian  went  forward  immediately  to  gather  up  the 
dead  and  the  wounded.  *'  He  had  not  gone  twenty 
yards  when  a  sharp,  piercing,  and  terrible  roar  re- 
sounded through  the  solitudes  of  the  forest,  and  was 
re-echoed  by  the  neighbouring  rocks.  Soon  I  heard  a 
rapid   movement,  and  then  a  tiger   sprang   from   the 


fer     'gk\ 


THE    TIGER.  61 

bushes,  which  he  broke  like  straw.  The  tiger  was 
forty  yards  off.  The  Indian  stood  still,  aimed,  and 
fired;  a  fresh  roar,  and  the  ferocious  beast  pursued 
his  course. 

"  At  twenty  yards  the  Indian  fired  his  second  barrel ; 
a  frightful  cry  of  terror  and  agony  was  the  reply. 
The  tiger  at  one  bound  reached  and  seized  his  enemy, 
and  tore  him  in  pieces  ! " 

M.  Thomas  Anquetil  threw  down  his  rifle,  and 
taking  his  revolver  in  his  right  hand  and  his  cutlass 
in  his  left,  he  held  himself  -in  readiness ;  he  could 
not  fire,  for  the  man  and  the  tiger  were  so  entangled 
together.  At  length  the  animal,  with  his  eyes  on  fire, 
his  mouth  all  bloody,  and  lashing  his  sides  with  his 
tail,  abandoned  the  dead  body,  and  turning  round 
upon  the  hunter,  prepared  for  a  spring,  when  six  shots 
resounded.  All  the  balls  had  struck,  and  the  animal 
rolled  on  the  ground,  uttering  a  convulsive  groan. 

*'  The  Indian  was  reduced  to  a  shapeless  heap.  He 
had  not  left  his  hold  on  my  rifle.  His  cramped  fingers 
still  clung  with  one  hand  to  the  stock  and  the  other  to 
the  barrel  of  the  gun.  The  wood  was  broken  and  the 
barrels  bore  marks  of  the  tiger's  fangs. 

*^  The  ferocious  beast— it  was  a  female — lay  on  the 
left  side,  the  claws  stifi'ened,  the  pupils  contracted,  the 
mouth  dripping  with  blood,  slimy  foam,  and  shreds 
of  throbbing  flesh.    She  belonged  to  the  species  called 


62  THE    TIGER. 

the  Eoyal  Tiger,  which  I  recognized  by  the  short  nap, 
strewn  with  black  and  irregular  rays  over  the  tawny 
hair.  But  its  height  and  length,  the  fineness  of  its 
extremities,  and  the  grace  of  its  form,  denoted  that 
it  was  not  yet  quite  full  grown.  I  suppose  it  was 
about  seven  years  old. 

**  The  oarsman's  ball  had  glided  over  the  ribs  and 
ploughed  the  right  flank  of  the  beast ;  the  second  had 
entered  the  flesh  at  the  top  of  the  shoulder.  One 
inch  lower,  and  the  Indian  would  have  conquered  the 
tiger,  for  he  would  have  broken  the  joint.  He  had 
evidently  fired  each  time  a  little  too   hastily. 

"  Two  of  my  six  balls  had  shattered  the  tiger's  jav/ ; 
the  four  others  were  lodged  in  the  breast,  and  one  of 
them  had  grazed  the  heart. 

*'  Scarcely  had  our  inspection  terminated  when  Laos> 
who  had  carefully  watched  all,  pressed  under  his  finger 
the  slightly  distended  udder  of  the  beast,  and  there 
issued  a  yellowish- white  milky  fluid.  This  was  a  ray  of 
sunlight  to  him.  He  seized  his  cutlass  and  started  o&, 
without  speaking  a  word,  and  began  to  search  about 
the  end  of  the  peninsula,  beating  every  tuft  of  bushes. 
The  Baron  and  I,  being  greatly  moved,  took  up  our 
firearms  and  set  ourselves  to  watch  with  increasing 
interest. 

**  At  the  end  of  the  peninsula  footprints  were  seen 
on  the  greasy  and  humid  shore — some  large  and  deep, 


THE    TIGER.  63 

others  small  and  almost  imperceptible.  Laos  at  once 
guessed  the  meaning.  The  beasts  had  come  there 
to  quench  their  thirst,  after  which  they  had  gone  away 
on  different  tracks. 

*^  At  one  place,  where  the  grass  and  the  shrubs  had 
been  more  trodden  down  than  elsewhere,  as  if  many 
beasts  had  made  their  halt  there,  Laos  remarked  that 
the  track  in  front,  which  was  that  of  the  mother,  w^as 
much  more  decided  than  the  light  impression  which 
was  seen  on  the  left.  This  last  index  was  sufficient. 
At  forty  yards  farther  a  shout  escaped  from  him. 

^*  Under  a  covering  of  lotus  and  flowering  rushes, 
two  young  tigers,  a  little  larger  than  cats,  as  round  as 
balls,  lay  one  against  the  other,  awaiting  their  mother 
in  a  kind  of  fierce  terror.  They  were  about  three 
weeks  or  a  month  old  at  most.  Laos  having  half 
opened  with  the  point  of  his  stick  this  verdant  screen, 
they  opened  their  eyes,  stretched  out  their  claws, 
showed  their  teeth,  and  growled :  with  one  blow  with 
the  butt-end  of  his  gun  he  stunned  them  both. 

**  To  tie  their  legs  together  with  cords,  to  take  off  his 
vest,  and  to  divest  himself  of  his  patsoo  (he  was  then 
naked  as  a  glass,  about  which  he  did  not  trouble  him- 
self the  least  in  the  world),  was  for  him  an  affair  of 
half  a  minute. 

*'  Then  he  extended  his  vest  on  the  ground,  and 
placed  thereon  the  two  little  animals,  and  tied  up  the 


64  THE    TIGER. 

opposite  ends.  Then  having  opened  out  his  patsoo,  he 
enclosed  the  packet,  and  placing  it  on  a  branch  over 
his  shoulder,  he  marched  away,  after  the  fashion  of  a 
country  labourer. 

**  The  hunters  returned  through  the  forest,  M.  Thomas 
Anquetil  and  the  Baron  walking  ahead,  in  conversation. 

'^ Suddenly  a  warm  breath  passed  over  my  cheek;  I 
felt  myself  seized  by  my  girdle  from  behind,  and 
the  grave  voice  of  Laos  murmured  rapidly  these 
words  in  my  ear, — ^ Take  care,  master;  do  not  ad- 
vance.' 

^'^  What  is  it,  then?' 

**  *  A  tiger ! '  said  he,  extending  his  arm. 

*'  This  dialogue  took  place  whilst  I  was  taking  down 
my  rifle,  which  was  unfortunately  fixed  in  my  shoulder- 
belt. 

*^  A  little  eminence  of  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  overhung 
the  route.  Around  a  mango  tree  of  moderate  growth 
w^as  a  cluster  of  flowering  mallows. 

**  The  tiger,  the  position  of  whose  body  we  could 
guess  at,  but  as  yet  we  could  only  see  his  head,  was 
watching  us  with  a  fixed  gaze,  his  back  against  the 
tree,  and  his  body  bent  under  him,  in  order  to  give 
double  force  to  his  spring.  He  was  waiting  until  we 
should  arrive  in  front  of  him,  to  throw  himself  upon 
us  suddenly  and  at  one  bound ;  the  interval  which 
separated  us  was  scarcely  thirty  yards. 


THE    TIGER.  65 

'*  When  we  stood  to  take  aim  at  him  he  understood 
that  he  was  discovered.  A  slight  movement  on  one 
side,  as  if  to  examine  where  he  could  fly,  betrayed  this 
instinctive  sentiment.  Then  all  at  once,  obeying  his 
sanguinary  nature,  or  rather  his  courage,  he  turned  to 
us  suddenly,  and  crouching  on  his  haunches,  prepared 
to  spring  on  us. 

**  Immediately  I  called  out,  *  One !  two !  three  ! — fire ! ' 

**  He  fell  on  the  path  like  a  lump  of  lead,  at  five  or 
six  yards  from  the  foot  of  the  eminence,  so  great  was 
the  impulse  of  the  fall ;  and,  strange  to  say,  without  a 
cry  or  a  groan. 

''He  remained  there — his  fore-legs  extended;  his 
hind  legs  hidden  underneath  him ;  his  nose  buried  in 
the  dust :  one  might  have  said  that  he  was  asleep. 
But  was  he  really  dead,  or  only  stunned  ? 

*'  We  advanced  whilst  loading  our  guns ;  and,  in  the 
meantime,  my  people  kept  their  eyes  on  him.  Not 
seeing  him  move,  I  had  a  great  desire  to  riddle  his 
head  with  the  balls  of  my  revolver,  remaining  at  a  few 
yards'  distance  ;  for  the  tiger,  like  the  lion,  has  some- 
times sudden  starts  and  returns  of  fury,  which  are 
extremely  dangerous.  Let  him  reach  you  at  such  a 
moment,  and  you  are  lost.  His  paw  fells  you,  his 
claws  rip  you  open,  and  his  teeth  crush  your  limbs, 
were  he  at  the  very  point  of  expiring. 

'*  Laos  dissuaded  me,  saying  that  I  should  injure  the 

F 


66 


THE    TIGER. 


skin,  and  he  begged  of  me  to  let  him  do  it.  I  con- 
sented; but,  nevertheless,  I  continued  to  aim  at  the 
animal,  at  all  hazards. 

**  Laos  deposited  his  burden  of  the  two  young  tigers 
on  the  ground,  and  then,  taking  up  his  club  with  his 
two  hands  by  the  extremity  of  the  handle,  he  j)laced 
himself  well  in  front  of  the  beast,  and  dealt  him  a 
blow  on  the  head  with  all  his  might,  with  so  much 
vigour,  indeed,  as  to  split  the  skull  in  two  as  a  butcher . 
would  that  of  an  ox. 

'*  It  was  a  full-grown  male ;  and  a  very  splendid 
animal  he  was. 

'^  Laos  took  the  fancy  to  draw  the  scent  of  the  beast 
before  the  two  cubs,  still  wrapped  up  in  the  imtsoo ; 
they  squalled  and  tore  like  mad  things,  until  they 
very  nearly  managed  to  effect  their  escape.  This 
was  evidence  to  me  that  the  tiger  was  their  father. 

"  Poor  Laos  ended  very  badly.  M.  Thomas- Anquetil 
had  made  him  a  present  cf  a  rifle  and  ammunition,  of 
which  no  one  could  make  better  use.  One  day,  sur- 
prised by  a  tiger,  he  promptly  put  himself  on  the 
defensive.  His  two  barrels  missed  fire  in  the  very  face 
of  the  animal,  and  he  was  devoured  in  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye," 


THE   LION    OF    SOUTH    AFRICA. 


linage  i 


CHAPTEK  IV. 

The  lion  of  South  Africa,  or  the  dog-nosed  lion,  differs 
considerably  from  the  lion  of  Northern  Africa  in  its 
physical  characteristics  and  its  habits,  as  well  as  in  its 
size,  strength,  and  courage;  and  the  following  anecdotes 
will  serve  to  exhibit  some  of  these  characteristics. 

''When,"  says  Livingstone,  ''a  lion  is  met  in  the 
daytime,  a  circumstance  by  no  means  infrequent  to 
travellers  in  these  parts,  if  preconceived  notions  do  not 
lead  them  to  expect  something  very  '  noble '  or  '  majes- 
tic,' they  will  see  merely  an  animal,  somewhat  larger 
than  the  biggest  dog  they  ever  saw,  and  partaking  very 
strongly  of  the  canine  features.  The  face  is  not  much 
like  the  usual  drawings  of  a  lion,  the  nose  being 
prolonged  like  a  dog's ;  not  exactly  such  as  our  painters 
make  it,  though  they  might  learn  better  at  the  Zoolo- 
gical Gardens:  their  ideas  of  majesty  being  usually 
shown  by  making  their  lions'  faces  like  old  women  in 
nightcaps." 

F  2 


68  THE    LION    OF    SOUTH   AFRICA. 

It  should,  however,  be  said  in  reply  to  this,  in  the 
first  place,, that  hitherto  painters  have  never  had  South 
African  lions  for  their  models  ;  and  then  that  this  lion, 
although  less  formidable  than  the  lion  of  the  Atlas,  is, 
nevertheless,  not  quite  so  contemptible  an  animal  as 
the  worthy  traveller  would  have  us  believe. 


II. 

One  of  the  characteristic  traits  of  this  or  that  variety 
is  undoubtedly  the  great  number  of  individuals  which 
represent  it  in  certain  parts  of  Africa.  Not  that  one 
finds  in  any  part  entire  armies  of  lions,  such  as  are 
spoken  of  by  the  author  of  an  old  work,  **  Voyage  a 
rile  de  France ;  "  but  every  traveller  has  had  occasion 
to  note  that  on  such  a  night,  in  such  a  j)lace,  many 
lions,  roaring  horribly,  were  prowling  round  his  camp 
fire. 

Listen  to  Le  Vaillant : — 

"On  all  sides  we  heard  wild  beasts,  and  above  all 
lions,  crying  and  roaring  in  a  fearful  manner.  Many  of 
the  latter  in  particular  would  come  and  prowl  round 
our  camp  all  night,  filling  with  dismay  both  my  men 
and  my  animals ;  neither  our  fires  nor  our  muskets 
w^ould  drive  them  away ;  they  would  reply  with  a  sort 
of  savage  fury  to  the  roaring  of  those  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, as  if  inviting  them  to  the  carnage  by  making  a 


THE    LION    OF    SOUTH   AFIIICA.  69 

general  attack  upon  us.  Nevertheless,  daybreak  would 
deliver  us." 

Mr.  Moifat  was  on  a  tour  among  the  Barolongs  : 
they  had  halted  beside  a  pool  of  water,  and  at  night 
they  lighted  the  camp  fires.  Scarcely  had  the  traveller 
got  into  his  waggon  to  pass  the  night,  when  he  heard 
the  oxen  stamping  their  feet  with  fright.  A  lion  had 
just  followed  a  heifer  which  they  had  neglected  to  tie 
up,  and  carried  it  off  to  a  distance  of  about  a  hundred 
yards.  They  heard  him  breaking  the  bones  of  the 
animal,  which  was  sending  forth  most  lamentable  cries. 
They  fired  several  times  in  the  direction  of  the  noise, 
and  the  lion  replied  only  by  roaring.  Once  he  even 
came  up  to  the  waggons,  two  natives  having  flung  fire- 
sticks  at  him.  The  sight  of  the  fire  only  served  to 
redouble  his  fury.  He  was  rushing  on  them,  when  a 
ball  struck  the  ground  close  by  him,  and  he  turned 
away,  still  roaring. 

As  the  fuel  was  getting  very  low,  they  profited  by 
the  temporary  departure  of  the  lion  to  go  and  seek 
some  wood.  *^  I  had  not  gone  far,"  says  Mr.  Moffat, 
*^when  I  perceived  between  myself  and  the  horizon 
four  animals,  whose  attention  seemed  to  have  been 
aroused  by  the  noise  which  I  had  made  in  breaking 
some  dry  branches.  Looking  at  them  more  closely,  I 
perceived  that  these  new  visitors  were  no  other  than 
lions.     I  immediately  beat  a  retreat,  crawling  on  my 


70  THE   LION   OF    SOUTH   AFRICA. 

hands  and  knees  towards  the  pond,  to  inform  our  guide 
of  the  danger  we  were  in.  I  found  him  not  less  fright- 
ened than  myself,  and  looking  fixedly  in  the  opposite 
direction ;  there,  indeed,  were  two  more  lions  and  a 
cub,  devouring  us  with  their  looks,  and  appearing  only 
to  await  our  movements,  in  order  to  decide  upon  their  • 
own.  By  an  optical  illusion  which  I  have  often  noticed 
in  obscurity,  they  appeared  to  be  double  their  real  size. 
We  lost  no  time  in  entrenching  ourselves  in  the 
waggon  and  in  raking  up  our  fire,  whilst  at  only  a  short 
distance  from  us  we  could  hear  the  first  lion  tearing 
and  devouring  his  prey.  When  one  of  the  other 
famished  animals,  which  was  prowling  about  the  out- 
skirts, attempted  to  approach  him,  he  would  drive  him 
away  with  such  a  horrible  howling,  as  made  our  poor 
oxen  tremble,  and  was  by  no  means  reassuring  to  our- 
selves. We  had  too  good  ground  to  fear  that  out  of 
six  lions  there  might  be  at  least  one  which  would 
spring  upon  us  without  allowing  himself  to  be  stopped 
by  our  miserable  fire.  The  two  Barolongs  begrudged 
the  animal  his  succulent  repast,  and  from  time  to  time 
a  sigh  of  regret  would  escape  from  them,  at  the 
thought  of  the  loss  of  their  cow  and  of  all  the  milk 
with  which  she  would  have  supplied  them.  A  little 
before  daybreak,  having  swallowed  the  whole  animal, 
the  lion  retired,  leaving  nothing  behind  but  some  re- 
mains of  the  bones. ' 


THE    LION    OF    SOUTH   AFRICA.  71 

"  When  the  morning  arrived  we  examined  the  place, 
and  we  found  from  the  traces  of  the  lion  that  he  was 
of  the  largest  size,  and  that  he  alone  had  devoured 
the  heifer.  The  footmarks  of  the  other  lions  did  not 
approach  within  thirty  yards  of  the  place.  Two  jackals 
alone  had  come  to  finish  the  debris.  Although  I  had 
often  heard  spoken  of  the  enormous  quantity  of  food 
which  a  hungry  lion  would  devour,  it  required  nothing 
less  than  such  a  demonstration  as  this  to  convince  me 
that  a  single  individual  was  capable  of  devouring  all 
the  flesh  of  a  heifer,  without  counting  a  large  quantity 
of  bones ;  for  there  only  remained  a  rib  or  two  and 
even  many  of  the  marrowbones  had  been  broken,  as  if 
with  a  hammer." 

Livingstone  says,  '*  Whilst  I  was  engaged  in  re- 
moving our  dwelling  to  Kolobeng,  there  came  such  a 
large  number  of  lions  round  our  half-deserted  homes, 
that  the  natives,  who  remained  with  Mrs.  Livingstone, 
would  not  have  dared  for  the  world  to  go  out  of  doors 
after  nightfall." 

We  could  multiply  examples  almost  without  limit. 

The  author  whom  we  have  just  quoted  observes 
somewhere,  that  the  abundance  of  lions  is  explained 
by  that  of  the  large  game  ;  and  of  this  latter  he  gives 
us  in  many  places  of  his  book  marvellous  examples. 
I  cannot  resist  the  pleasure  of  citing  the  following 
passage  : — 


72  THE    LION    OF    SOUTH   AFEICA. 

*'  The  valley  named  Kandehy,  or  Kandehai,  is  as  pic- 
turesque a  spot  as  is  to  be  seen  in  tins  part  of  Africa. 
The  open  glade,  surrounded  by  forest  trees  of  various 
hues,  had  a  little  stream  meandering  in  the  centre,  A 
herd  of  reddish  coloured  antelopes  stood  on  one  side, 
near  a  large  baobab,  looking  at  us,  and  ready  to  run 
up  the  hill,  while  gnus,  tsessbes,  and  zebras  gazed  in 
astonishment  at  the  intruders.  Some  fed  carelessly, 
and  others  put  on  the  peculiar  air  of  displeasure 
which  these  animals  sometimes  assume  before  they 
resolve  on  flight.  A  large  white  rhinoceros  came 
along  the  bottom  of  the  valley  with  his  slow  sauntering 
gait  without  noticing  us  ;  he  looked  as  if  he  meant  to 
indulge  in  a  mud  bath.  Several  buffaloes,  with  their 
dark  visages,  stood  under  the  trees  on  the  side  opposite 
to  the  pallahs." 

And  again  :  **  At  a  short  distance  below  us  we  saw 
the  Kafue,  wending  its  way  over  a  forest-clad  plain  to 
the  confluence,  and  on  the  other  side  of  the  Zambesi ; 
beyond  that  lay  a  long  range  of  dark  hills.  A  line  of 
fleecy  clouds  appeared  lying  along  the  course  of  that 
river  at  their  base.  The  plain  below  us,  at  the  left 
of  the  Kafue,  had  more  large  game  on  it  than  any- 
where else  I  had  seen  in  Africa.  Hundreds  of 
bufi'aloes  and  zebras  grazed  on  the  open  spaces :  and 
there  stood  lordly  elephants,  feeding  majestically, 
nothing  moving,  apparently,  but  the  proboscis. 


THE   LION   OF    SOUTH   AFEICA.  73' 

"When  we-  descended  we  found  all  the  animals 
remarkably  tame.  The  elephants  stood  beneath  the 
trees,  fanning  themselves  with  their  large  ears,  as 
if  they  did  not  see  us  at  200  or  300  yards'  distance. 
We  saw  great  numbers  of  red-coloured  pigs  (pota- 
mochoerus)  standing  gazing  at  us  in  wonder. 

*'  The  number  of  animals  was  quite  astonishing,  and 
made  me  think  that  here  I  could  realize  an  image  of 
that  time  when  Megatheria  fed  undisturbed  in  the 
primeval  forests.** 


III. 

Another  very  characteristic  feature  of  the  dog-nosed 
lion,  is  that  individuals  of  this  species  often  unite 
together  for  the  purpose  of  hunting  large  game. 

*'  In  winter,  during  the  daytime,  one  frequently  sees," 
writes  Delegorgue,  **  bands  of  lions  united  together  for 
the  purpose  of  encircling  and  driving  the  game  towards 
gorges  and  wooded  passes  difficult  of  access,  where 
some  of  their  number  are  posted.  These  were  regular 
but  noiseless  battues,  the  scent  of  the  lions  being  quite 
sufficient  to  drive  away  the  herbivorous  animals  that 
came  across  it.  On  two  occasions,  and  at  only  a  few 
minutes'  interval,  we  had  fallen  into  the  centre  of  a 
line  of  these  beaters ;  there  were  twenty  ot  first,  thirty 


74  THE   LION   OF   SOUTH   AFRICA. 

afcerwards.  A  rhinoceros  appeared  to  be  the  chief 
object  of  their  greed." 

Livingstone  has  seen  a  herd  of  buffaloes  defending 
themselves  against  a  number  of  lions  with  their 
horns,  the  males  in  advance,  the  females  and  their 
young  forming  a  rear  guard. 

Messrs.  Oswell  and  Yardon  were  riding  along  the 
banks  of  the  Limpopo,  when  a  waterbuck  started  in 
front  of  them.  **  I  dismounted,"  says  Mr.  Vardon, 
'*  and  was  following  it  through  the  jungle,  when  three 
buffaloes  got  up,  and,  after  going  a  little  distance, 
stood  still,  and  the  nearest  bull  turned  round  and 
looked  at  me.  A  ball  from  the  two-ouncer  crashed 
into  his  shoulder,  and  they  all  three  made  off. 
Oswell  and  I  followed  as  soon  aS  I  had  reloaded,  and 
when  we  were  in  sight  of  the  buffalo,  and  gaining  on 
him  at  every  stride,  three  lions  leapt  on  the  unfor- 
tunate brute.  He  bellowed  most  lustily  as  he  kept  up 
a  running  fight,  but  he  was  of  course  soon  overpowered 
and  pulled  down.  We  had  a  fine  view  of  the  struggle, 
and  saw  the  lions,  on  their  hind  legs,  tearing  away 
with  teeth  and  clavv'S  in  most  ferocious  style."  Three 
to  one  is  an  evident  proof  of  weakness,  and  even  three 
of  the  South  African  lions  together  are  not  always 
able  to  master  a  buffalo,  especially  a  female  with  little 
ones  to  defend.  A  traveller  reports  having  seen  a 
female,  backed  by  a  river,  hold  five  lions  in  check,  and 


THE   LION   OF    SOUTH   AFBICA.  75 

compel  them  to  beat  retreat.  **I  have  heard  from 
a  good  source,'*  says  Sparrman,  '^  of  a  lion  being 
knocked  down  and  trampled  to  death  by  a  herd  of 
cattle  which,  pressed  by  hunger,  he  had  dared  to 
attack  in  the  daytime." 

It  is  scarcely  fair,  ho^vever,  to  exaggerate  the  rela- 
tive weakness  of  this  animal.  He  has  been  seen  at 
the  Cape  to  seize  a  heifer  and  carry  her  off  with  the 
legs  trailing  the  ground,  with  as  much  ease  as  a  cat 
would  carry  a  mouse,  leaping  without  any  difficulty 
across  a  ditch,  with  his  load  in  his  mouth. 

Two  farmers  who  were  out  hunting  saw  one  of  these 
lions  carrying  away  a  buffalo  from  the  plain  over  a 
woody  hillock ;  certainly  the  animal  had  had  the  saga- 
city to  lighten  the  body  by  disembowelling  it. 

How  do  they  manage  to  share  the  plunder  in  these 
expeditions  made  in  common  ?  With  a  certain  degree 
of  equity,  one  is  compelled  to  think,  since  the  habits 
of  association  continue.  When  an  old  male  conduets 
the  band,  as  he  reserves  to  himself  the  chief  part  of 
the  work,  he  gives  to  the  others  his  leavings  ;  and  if 
this  is  not  charitable,  it  is  just.  This  is  the  way  in 
which  the  affair  is  managed,  as  described  by  a  native: — 

**When  several  lions  together  come  upon  some 
game,  the  oldest  of  the  troop  crawls  towards  the  ob- 
ject of  their  covetousness,  whilst  the  others  lie  down 
quietly  on   the   grass.     If    he   succeeds  in  becoming 


76  THE    LION    OF    SOUTH   AFRICA. 

master,  as  he  usually  does,  he  leaves  his  victim  and 
retires  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  or  so  to  take  breath ; 
during  this  time  the  other  lions  approach  and  lie  down 
at  a  respectful  distance.  When  the  chief  has  finished 
his  repose,  he  begins  an  attack  on  the  brisket  and  the 
abdomen;  and  after  helping  himself  to  the  most  succu- 
lent morsels,  he  takes  another  rest,  none  of  his  com- 
panions in  the  meantime  dreaming  of  moving.  Then, 
when  he  has  finished  his  second  repast  and  retired,  the 
others,  having  watched  all  his  movements,  pounce  upon 
the  remains,  which  are  soon  devoured. 

"  On  other  occasions,  when  a  young  lion  has  seized 
his  prey  and  an  old  one  passes  by,  the  young  one 
stands  aside  until  his  senior  has  dined." 

Observations  made  by  Mr.  Mofi'at,  in  continuation 
of  his  account  of  the  night  attack  already  mentioned, 
agree  entirely  with  the  foregoing  recital. 

The  same  native  saw  one  day  a  lion  creeping 
towards  the  stump  of  a  tree  of  a  blackish  colour,  and 
not  unlike  a  human  form.  When  the  animal  had 
approached  within  about  twenty-five  yards,  he  sprang 
forward,  and  missed  his  mark  by  a  foot  or  two,  which 
appeared  to  mortify  him  very  much.  After  smelling 
the  object  and  discovering  his  mistake,  he  returned, 
all  ashamed,  to  his  starting-point,  made  another  leap 
with  no  more  success,  began  again,  and  at  last,  at  the 
fourth  attempt,  he  succeeded  in  planting  his  paw  on 


THE    LION    OF    SOUTH   AFRICA.  77 

the  imaginary  prey.  Then,  satisfied  with  himself,  he 
went  away. 

Another  Hottentot  relates  that  a  troop  of  zebras 
was  going  along  a  straight  path  leading  to  the  margin 
of  a  precipice.  A  fine  stallion  formed  the  rear  guard, 
when  suddenly,  from  a  rock  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  a 
lion  sprang  at  the  stallion  and  missed  him.  The  path 
wound  round  the  rock,  and  the  lion  comprehended  that 
if  he  could  scale  it  at  a  single  bound,  a  second  spring 
would  bring  him  on  to  the  back  of  his  victim.  He 
made  the  attempt,  but  could  only  get  sufficiently  high 
to  see  the  zebra  galloping  away,  beating  the  air  with 
his  tail.  He  then  made  a  second  leap,  and  a  third, 
until  he  succeeded.  During  this  time  two  other  lions 
had  arrived,  and  chatting  together  after  their  fashion, 
the  old  lion  made  them  take  a  turn  round  the  rock ; 
then,  leading  them  to  the  starting-point,  he  made  the 
leap  once  more  in  their  presence,  to  show  them  what 
must  be  done  in  future  on  a  like  occasion. 

'^  They  were  evidently  talking  together,"  said  the 
African,  '*  but  being  in  a  low  tone  of  voice  I  could  not 
comprehend  a  word  of  their  conversation  ;  and  fearing 
that  they  might  take  a  fancy  to  exercise  their  art  at 
my  expense,  I  silently  retired,  leaving  them  in  the 
midst  of  their  deliberations/' 


78  THE   LION    OF    SOUTH   AFBICA. 

IV. 

The  Hottentots  hold  that  a  lion  never  kills  a  man 
at  once,  when  he  has  struck  him  down,  unless  he  is 
irritated  hj  resistance.  This  would  appear  to  be  true 
in  general,  for  there  is  nothing  absolute  in  natural 
history. 

A  father  and  his  two  sons  were  pursuing  a  lion,  when 
the  animal  turned  upon  them,  and  springing  upon  one 
who  fell  underneath  him,  the  others,  without  losing 
an  instant,  fired  and  killed  the  lion,  whilst  the  young 
man  was  found  to  have  sustained  no  injury. 

A  farmer  of  the  name  of  Botta,  who  was  also  a 
captain  of  militia,  was  seen  in  the  same  position  as  this 
young  man.  For  a  long  time  the  lion  crouched  over 
him.  The  man  at  length  extricated  himself,  with  only 
a  few  bruises  and  a  bite  in  the  arm — deep,  certainly, 
but  not  such  as  to  put  his  life  in  danger. 

We  have  also  the  testimony  of  Livingstone.  He 
had  wounded  a  lion,  and  was  in  the  act  of  reloading 
his  gun,  when  the  lion  sprang  upon  him.  "I  was 
upon  a  little  height;  he  caught  my  shoulder  as  he 
sprang,  and  we  both  came  to  the  ground  below  to- 
gether. Growling  horribly  close  to  my  ear,  he  shook 
me  as  a  terrier  dog  does  a  rat.  The  shock  produced 
a  stupor  similar  to  that  which  seems  to  be  felt  by  a 
mouse,  after  the  first  shake  of  the  cat.     It  caused  a 


THE   LION   OF    SOUTH   AFRICA.  79 

sort  of  dreaminess,  in  which  there  was  no  sense  of 
pain  nor  feeling  of  terror,  though  quite  conscious  of 
all  that  was  ha]Dpening.  It  was  like  what  patients 
partially  under  the  influence  of  chloroform  describe, 
who  see  all  the  operation,  but  feel  not  the  knife.  This 
singular  condition  was  not  the  result  of  any  mental 
process.  The  shake  annihilated  fear,  and  allowed  no 
sense  of  horror  in  looking  round  at  the  beast.  This 
peculiar  state  is  probably  produced  by  all  animals 
killed  by  the  carnivora ;  and  if  so,  is  a  merciful  pro- 
vision by  our  benevolent  Creator  for  lessening  the  pain 
of  death.  Turning  round  to  relieve  myself  of  the 
weight,  as  he  had  one  paw  on  the  back  of  my  head,  I 
saw  his  eyes  directed  to  Mebalwe,  who  was  trying  to 
shoot  him  at  a  distance  of  ten  or  fifteen  yards.  His 
gun,  a  flint  one,  missed  fire  in  both  the  barrels.  The 
lion  immediately  left  me,  and  attacking  Mebalwe,  bit 
his  thigh.  Another  man,  whose  life  I  had  saved 
before,  after  he  had  been  tossed  by  a  buffalo,  attempted 
to  spear  the  lion  while  he  was  biting  Mebalwe.  He 
•left  Mebalwe  and  caught  this  man  by  the  shoulder, 
but  at  that  moment  the  bullets  he  had  received  took 
efi'ect,   and  he  fell  down  dead." 

It  would  seem  that  the  lion  takes  quite  another 
course  when  the  victim  is  a  beast.  Most  frequently 
he  kills  him  at  a  blow.  A  farmer  had  just  unyoked 
his  oxen,  when  a  lion  threw  himself  successively  on 


80  THE    LION   OF    SOUTH    AFEICA. 

two    of    these    animals,    whose   deaths   were    instan- 
taneous. 

He  had  broken  their  spines. 

Whence  comes  this  difference  ? 

Doubtless  from  the  fear  which  man  inspires,  and  the 
natural  prudence  of  the  lion,  which  makes  him  always 
suspect  some  trap  on  the  part  of  man,  especially  of 
a  white  man,  even  when  he  has  him  in  his  clutches. 

All  Africans  are  agreed  as  to  the  distinction  which 
the  South  African  lion  establishes  between  the  white 
man  and  the  negro. 

'*  One  morning,"  relates  Mr.  Moffatt  *'  after  having 
passed  the  night  at  the  door  of  the  cabin  in  which 
slept  the  principal  man  of  the  village  and  his  wife,  I 
told  them  that  I  had  heard  something  moving  on  the 
other  side  of  the  hawthorn  hedge,  under  the  shade 
of  which  I  had  been  sleeping;  and  I  concluded  that 
some  of  the  cattle  had  broken  loose  during  the  night. 
*  No,'  replied  my  host,  '  I  have  seen  the  trail  this 
morning — it  was  the  Hon.*  And  he  added  that  some 
nights  previously  this  lion  had  broken  through  the. 
hedge  at  the  very  place  where  I  had  been  sleeping,  and 
had  seized  a  goat,  which  he  carried  off  through  the 
other  side  of  the  enclosure.  Then  he  showed  the 
remains  of  a  mat,  wiiich  he  had  taken  from  his  cabin, 
and  burnt  to  frighten  the  animal. 

**  I  asked  him  how  it  happened  that  he  had  arranged 


THE    LION    OF    SOUTH   AFRICA.  81 

for  my  sleeping  just  on  that  particular  spot,  *  Oh ! ' 
said  he,  *  the  lion  would  never  have  had  the  audacity 
to  leap  on  you  !  * " 

It  would  doubtless  be  scarcely  wise  to  trust  abso- 
lutely in  that;  but  since  the  lion  can  learn  to  fear  man, 
one  can  understand  that  he  would  have  more  respect 
for  a  white  man  than  a  black  one. 

As  to  the  lion's  caution,  it  is  so  great,  that  to  him 
who  only  knew  him  from  this  side  of  his  character,  he 
would  seem  to  be  the  most  pusillanimous  of  animals. 

One  of  the  horses  belonging  to  Mr.  Codrington,  an 
Englishman  who  was  travelling  in  Africa,  having  broken 
loose,  he  was  caught  in  his  flight  by  the  trunk  of  a 
broken  tree,  round  which  the  bridle  had  become  entan- 
gled, and  he  was  found  on  this  spot  forty-eight  hours 
afterwards. 

All  around  him  were  to  be  seen  numerous  footmarks 
of  lions,  but  the  horse  was  safe  and  sound.  Evidently 
this  animal,  thus  fastened  in  the  open  country,  was  to 
them  a  very  suspicious  object ;  they  believed  in  a  trap, 
and  did  not  venture  to  make  the  attack.  Livingstone 
says  : — '^  Two  lions  came  up  by  night  to  within  three 
yards  of  oxen  tied  to  a  waggon,  and  a  sheep  tied  to  a 
tree,  and  stood  roaring,  but  afraid  to  make  a  spring, 
fearing  a  trap.  On  another  occasion  one  of  our  party 
was  lying  sound  asleep,  and  unconscious  of  danger, 
between  two  natives  behind  a  bush  at  Mashue ;  the  fire 

a 


82  THE    LION    OF    SOUTH    AFRICA. 

was  nearly  out  at  their  feet,  in  consequence  of  all  being 
completely  tired  out  by  the  fatigues  of  the  previous  day. 
A  lion  came  up  to  within  three  yards  of  the  fire,  and 
there  commenced  roaring  instead  of  making  a  spring  : 
the  fact  of  their  riding  ox  being  tied  to  the  bush  was 
the  only  reason  the  lion  had  for  not  following  his  in- 
stinct and  making  a  meal  of  flesh.  He  then  stood  on  a 
knoll  three  hundred  yards  distant,  and  roared  all  night  ; 
and  continued  his  growling  as  the  party  moved  off 
by  daylight  next  morning." 


V. 

This  natural  cautiousness  and  this  acquired  fear  seem 
to  us  to  explain  perfectly  the  conduct  of  the  lion  in 
the  circumstances  we  are  about  to  relate. 

A  man  belonging  to  the  congregation  of  Bethany 
was  returning  home  from  visiting  a  friend  :  he  made  a 
detour  in  order  to  pass  by  a  little  spring,  where  he 
hoped  to  find  an^  antelope  for  his  family  supper. 
When  he  reached  this  spot  the  sun  was  already  very 
high,  and  not  finding  the  game  he  was  in  search  of, 
he  placed  his  gun  against  a  rock,  quenched  his  thirst, 
returned  to  the  rock,  and  smoked  his  pipe,  and  then 
slept. 

Soon  afterwards,  roused  up  by  the  intense  heat  of  the 


THE    LION    OF    SOUTH   AFRICA.  83 

sun,  he  observed  an  enormous  lion  lying  down  within 
three  yards  of  him,  and  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  him. 
After  remaining  for  some  minutes  motionless  with 
terror,  he  recovered  his  presence  of  mind,  and  looking 
round  for  his  gun,  he  stretched  out  his  hand  to  seizo  it. 

The  lion  saw  the  movement,  lifted  his  head,  and 
roared  terribly.  The  man  made  one  or  two  further 
attempts,  but  the  gun  being  beyond  his  reach  he  gave 
it  up ;  for  the  lion,  who  appeared  perfectly  to  understand 
his  object,  also  exhibited  signs  of  anger  whenever  the 
poor  wretch  moved  his  hand. 

The  position  soon  became  intolerable;  the  rock  on 
which  the  man  was  lying  had  become  so  heated  by  the 
sun,  that  his  naked  feet  could  not  bear  the  contact,  and 
he  was  obliged  constantly  to  change  them,  by  placing 
one  over  the  other.  The  whole  day  passed  in  this 
manner,  then  the  night,  without  the  lion  moving  from 
his  place ;  the  sun  rose  again,  and  soon  the  intense 
heat  on  the  rock  rendered  the  poor  Hottentot's  feet 
insensible. 

At  noon  the  lion  arose  and  went  towards  the  spring, 
looking  behind  him  to  watch  the  movements  of  his 
prisoner  ;  and  seeing  him  stretch  out  his  hand  towards 
his  gun,  he  turned  round  in  a  fury,  and  appeared  as  if 
he  was  about  to  spring  upon  him.  After  having  ap- 
peased his  thirst,  he  returned  to  his  post  near  the 
rock, 

G  2 


84  THE   LION   OF    SOUTH   AFKICA. 

Another  night  passed  away.  The  man,  when  he 
recounted  this  scene,  said  that  he  was  ignorant  as  to 
whether  he  had  slept  or  not ;"  but  that  if  he  had  slept  it 
must  have  been  with  his  eyes  open,  for  he  had  never 
for  one  moment  ceased  to  see  the  lion  at  his  feet. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  following  day  the  lion 
returned  to  drink  at  the  spring;  and  there,  having 
heard  some  noise  which  frightened  him,  he  disappeared 
in  the  wood. 

The  man  went  for  his  gun ;  but  when  he  stooped  to 
pick  it  up,  his  ankles  refused  to  sustain  him,  and  he  fell 
down.  With  his  gun  in  his  hand  he  dragged  himself 
to  the  spring ;  his  great  toes  were  shrivelled,  and  the 
soles  of  his  feet  scorched. 

He  waited  a  short  time  for  the  return  of  the  lion, 
resolved  to  shoot  him  through  the  head,  but  the 
animal  did  not  come  back;  and  'fastening  his  gun 
behind  him,  he  crawled  as  well  as  he  could  on  his 
hands  and  knees  into  a  neighbouring  path,  happily 
just  as  a  friend  was  passing,  who  carried  him  into  a 
safe  place,  and  bestowed  on  him  all  the  care  which  his 
state  required;  but  he  lost  his  toes,  and  remained  a 
cripple  for  the  rest  of  his  life. 

An  old  Hottentot  returning:  to  his  home  perceived  a 
lion  that  he  thought  was  following  him :  at  the  end  of 
an  hour  or  so  he  no  longer  doubted  it — the  lion  was 
following.     He  naturally  thought  that  the  animal  was 


THE   LION   OF   SOUTH   AFRICA.  85 

only  waiting  for  the  night,  in  order  to  spring  upon 
him.  The  situation  was  a  critical  one ;  for,  on  the  one 
hand,  the  poor  wretch  could  not  reach  his  village 
before  night,  and,  on  the  other,  he  had  no  other 
weapon  than  a  stick. 

Trudging  along,  not  without  turning  his  head  round 
from  time  to  time,  our  friend  pondered  what  was  the 
best  thing  to  be  done,  without  being  able  to  find  a 
satisfactory  solution.  The  country  was  absolutely 
naked — not  a  tree  or  refuge  of  any  kind  at  hand.  At 
length  an  idea  occurred  to  him. 

In  those  parts  there  are  frequently  found  rocks, 
sometimes  of  a  considerable  height,  which  on  one  side 
are  connected  with  the  surrounding  land  by  a  very 
gentle  slope,  whilst  on  the  other  they  rise  to  a  peak, 
and  form  a  precipice :  they  call  them  Idiprons. 

To  find  a  klipron  became  the  fixed  idea  of  the  old 
Hottentot ;  and,  turning  aside  from  his  path,  he  soon 
found  one,  which  sloped  gradually  upwards.  He  gained 
the  summit,  and  reaching  the  verge,  he  sat  down,  his 
legs  hanging  over  the  precipice,  and  looked  behind 
him.  The  lion  was  standing  still,  and  watching  this 
very  doubtful  manoeuvre. 

They  remained  thus,  the  man  sitting,  the  beast 
standing,  until  night  came  on.  Then  the  Hottentot 
quietly  slid  down  to  a  projection  on  the  vertical  face 
of  the  rock ;  and,  standing  upright,  he  quickly  placed 


86  THE   LION   OF    SOUTH   AFBICA, 

his  hat  and  his  mantle  on  the  end  of  his  stick,  raised 
it  above  his  head  and  above  the  rock,  and  waited. 

He  had  not  long  to  wait.  During  these  preparations 
the  lion  had  stealthily  crept  up.  He  saw  the  man- 
nikin,  and,  supposing  it  to  be  the  Hottentot,  he 
sprang,  and  fell  head  foremost  down  the  precipice. 
Then  the  poor  fellow  shouted,  *^  Tlcatsi!  fkatsi/'' — an 
interjection  which  combines  within  itself  a  thousand 
curses. 

*'We  saw  two  large  lions,'*  says  Sparrman;  *Hhe 
one  had  a  mane,  and  was  therefore  a  male.  They  were 
at  a  distance  of  from  two  to  three  hundred  yards  from 
us,  in  a  little  valley;  and  the  moment  they  perceived 
us  they  took  to  flight.  They  used  in  running  a  kind 
of  sidelong  motion,  like  certain  dogs,  interrupted 
by  occasional  light  springs ;  with  their  necks  slightly 
elevated,  they  seemed  to  be  looking  at  us  sideways.  I 
was  very  curious  to  study  them  more  closely;  and 
we  followed  on  horseback,  shouting  after  them,  and 
tempting  them  to  stop. 

**  These  cries  caused  them  to  redouble  their  speed ; 
and  when  they  reached  the  river,  which  we  had  to 
cross,  they  plunged  into  the  neighbouring  thicket,  and 
we  lost  sight  of  them." 

A  rich  peasant,  Jacob  Kok,  of  Zee-Koe-rivier,  was  one 
day  walking  in  his  fields,  with  a  loaded  gun,  when  he 
saw  a  lion  at  a  short  distance  from  him.     He  took  aim, 


THE   LION   OF    SOUTH   AFEICA.  87 

but  his  gun  hung  fire ;  and,  full  of  fright,  he  fled  for 
his  life,  followed  in  turn  by  his  game.  Soon  finding 
himself  out  of  breath,  he  leapt  on  a  heap  of  stones, 
and,  facing  round,  resolved  to  defend  himself  with  the 
butt  end  of  his  gun. 

This  attitude  imposed  on  the  lion  ;  he  stopped  and 
sat  down  with  the  coolest  air  in  the  world.  Never- 
theless, the  hunter  did  not  dare  to  move.  In  running 
he  had  lost  his  pow^der-flask,  and  he  could  only  await 
the  pleasure  of  the  lion.  They  remained  in  this 
position  for  a  good  half-hour,  looking  at  each  other; 
after  which  the  lion  skulked  slowly  away,  affecting 
some  dignity  meanwhile,  but,  when  he  had  gone  some 
distance,  he  bolted  away  with  all  his  speed. 

A  man,  meeting  a  lion  unexpectedly,  fell  down  faint- 
ing from  fright.  The  lion,  astonished,  peered  round 
the  bush,  and  seeing  no  one,  suspected  an  ambuscade, 
and  started  with  his  tail  between  his  legs. 

He  would  have  gone  more  slowly  if  he  had  been 
perfectly  certain  of  being  seen,  for  his  vanity  equals  his 
distrust. 

^*  In  the  daytime,'*  says  Livingstone,  "  the  lion 
stands  a  second  or  two  gazing  at  the  person^  he  en- 
counters;  then  he  turns  slowly  round,  and  walks  as 
slowly  away  for  a  dozen  paces,  looking  over  his 
shoulder  ;  then  he  begins  to  trot,  and  when  he  thinks 
himself  out  of  sight,  bounds  off  like  a  greyhound.'* 


88  THE   LION   OF   SOUTH   AFRICA. 

Mr.  Moffat  says  that  lie  has  seen  bushmen,  and  even 
women,  compel  a  lion  to  leave  the  prey  which  he  had 
just  seized,  simply  by  shouting  and  making  a  noise. 

But  this  portrait  ceases  to  be  a  correct  one  when  the 
lion  is  very  hungry  or  has  charge  of  young  ones. 
The  cry  of  the  stomach  drowns  the  voice  of  prudence ; 
the  lion  no  longer  distinguishes  between  black  and 
white ;  and  in  a  man  he  only  sees  a  possible  prey  or 
a  certain  enemy. 

"  At  Lopepe,  a  lioness  sprang  on  the  hind-quarter  of 
Mr.'  Oswell's  horse,  and  when  we  came  up  to  him  we 
found  the  marks  of  the  claws  on  the  horse,  and  a 
scratch  on  Mr.  O.'s  hand.  The  horse,  on  feeling  the 
lion  on  him,  sprang  away,  and  the  rider,  caught  by  a 
wait-a-bit  thorn,  was  brought  to  the  ground  and  ren-. 
dered  insensible  :  his  dogs  saved  him.'* 

Mr.  Codrington,  too,  was  attacked  in  the  same  way, 
though  not  hunting  the  lion  at  the  time ;  but  turning 
round,  he  shot  him  dead  in  the  neck. 

A  widow  woman  was  living  in  a  very  isolated  dwell- 
ing with  her  two  sons,  the  eldest  of  whom  was  about 
nineteen  years  old.  One  dark  night  they  were  awoke 
by  the  lowing  of  the  cattle  enclosed  in  a  yard  at  a 
short  distance.  They  ran  for  their  arms.  It  was  a 
lion.  He  had  broken  through  the  palisade  and  made 
horrible  carnage  amongst  the  cattle.  Neither  the 
Hottentots  nor  the  young  men  themselves  dared  to 


THE    LION    OF    SOUTH    AFEICA.  89 

enter  the  enclosure,  but  tlie  intrepid  widow  went  in 
alone  armed  with  a  gun.  In  the  darkness  she  could 
scarcely  see  the  lion,  but  she  fired  nevertheless ;  the 
wounded  animal  rushed  upon  her  and  threw  her  down. 
At  the  cries  of  the  poor  woman  her  two  sons  ran  to  her 
assistance ;  they  found  the  lion  attacking  his  prey. 
Furious  and  desperate,  they  rushed  upon  him,  and 
slaughtered  him  on  the  bleeding  body  of  their  mother. 
Besides  the  deep  wounds  which  she  received  in  the 
throat  and  on  different  parts  of  her  body,  the  lion  had 
bitten  off  her  hand,  which  he  had  devoured. 

All  help  was  useless,  and  the  same  night  she  expired, 
in  the  midst  of  the  sorrows  and  vain  regrets  of  her 
children  and  the  assembled  servants. 

After  a  successful  expedition  against  the  bushmen, 
who  had  stolen  some  cattle,  Le  Vaillant  returned  to  a 
spot  where  the  evening  before  he  had  left  two  Kami- 
nouquois,  who  had  served  him  as  guides.  *'Just  as 
we  were  approaching,  I  heard  from  the  troop  ahead 
such  frightful  cries  as  almost  froze  my  blood  with 
alarm.  I  ran  up  immediately,  and  saw  a  frightful 
spectacle,  the  picture  of  which  haunts  me  to  this  hour. 
Those  two  unfortunate  savages,  who  so  generously  had 
offered  to  conduct  me,  were  lying  on  the  ground, 
almost  dead,  and  weltering  in  their  blood. 

**  My  first  idea  was  that  they  had  been  murdered  by 
some  of    those  belonging  to  the  horde  we  had  been 


90  THE   LION   OF   SOUTH   AFRICA. 

pursuing,  but  on  approaching  nearer  I  was  f5oon  dis- 
abused . 

''  One  of  them  had  his  lower  jaw  smashed,  and  almost 
entirely  gone;  the  shreds  which  still  remained  and 
discovered  the  tongue  were  hanging  all  bleeding  down 
the  neck  and  bosom.  He  gave  no  other  sign  of  life 
than  a  slight  pulsation;  but  the  prodigious  swelling 
of  his  head,  the  horrible  alteration  of  his  countenance, 
his  eyes  out  of  their  sockets,  had  so  greatly  disfigured 
him,  that  he  preserved  no  human  features,  and  revolted 
my  sight  at  the  same  time  that  he  lacerated  my  heart. 

**  His  companion  had  many  bites  and  tears  on  his 
body,  and  his  arm  broken,  or  rather  crushed,  in  several 
places.  Nevertheless  his  state  was  by  no  means  so 
grievous,  and  he  could  even  speak.  We  inquired  the 
cause  of  his  misfortune.  He  told  us  that  after  we  had 
'  quitted  them,  they  extinguished  their  fire  in  order  not 
to  be  discovered  by  the  bushmen,  and  whilst  sleeping 
at  a  few  yards  from  his  companion,  he  w^as  in  a  short 
time  woke  up  by  his  cries.  He  at  once  rushed  to  his 
assistance,  and  he  found  himself  fighting  against  the 
claws  of  a  lion,  which  he  wounded  in  the  flank.  But 
the  animal,  feeling  himself  wounded,  threw  himself 
upon  him,  and  before  fleeing  away,  reduced  him  to  the 
state  in  which  we  found  him.'* 


THE   LION   OF    SOUTH   AFRICA.  91 

VI. 

The  natives  hunt  the  lions  with  guns  or  lances,  wnich- 
ever  of  these  weapons  they  may  chance  to  possess. 
Each  of  these  arms  was  in  use  in  the  encounter  which 
we  give  below,  and  which  nearly  proved  fatal  to  Dr. 
Livingstone. 

**  The  Bakatla  of  the  village  Mabotsa  were  much 
troubled  by  lions,  which  leaped  into  the  cattle-pens  by 
night  and  destroyed  their  cows.  They  even  attacked 
the  herds  in  open  day.  This  was  so  unusual  an 
occurrence,  that  the  people  believed  they  were  be- 
witched— 'given,*  as  they  said,  'into  the  power  of  the 
lions  by  a  neighbouring  tribe.'  They  went  once  to 
attack  the  animals,  but  being  rather  a  cowardly  people, 
compared  to  Bechuanas  in  general  on  such  occasions, 
they  returned  without  killing  any. 

''It  is  well  known  that  if  one  in  a  troop  of  lions  is 
killed,  the  others  take  the  hint  and  leave  that  part  of 
the  country.  So  the  next  time  the  herds  were  at- 
tacked, I  went  with  the  people  in  order  to  encourage 
them  to  rid  themselves  of  the  annoyance  by  destroying 
one  of  the  marauders.  We  found  the  lions  on  a  small 
hill  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  length,  and  covered 
with  trees.  A  circle  of  men  was  formed  round  it,  and 
they  gradually  closdd  up,  ascending  pretty  near  to 
each  other. 


92  THE    LION    OF    SOUTH    AFRICA. 

"Being  down  below  on  the  plain  with  a  native 
schoolmaster,  named  Mebalwe,  a  most  excellent  man, 
I  saw  one  of  the  lions  sitting  on  a  piece  of  rock  within 
the  now  closed  circle  of  men.  Mebalwe  fired  at  him 
before  I  could,  and  the  ball  struck  the  rock  on  which 
the  animal  was  sitting.  He  bit  at  the  spot  struck,  as 
a  dog  does  at  a  stick  or  stone  thrown  at  him ;  then 
leaping  away,  broke  through  the  opening  circle  and 
escaped  unhurt.  The  men  w^ere  afraid  to  attack  him, 
perhaps  on  account  of  their  belief  in  witchcraft. 
When  the  circle  was  reformed,  we  saw  two  other  lions 
in  it,  but  we  were  afraid  to  fire  lest  we  should  strike 
the  men;  and  they  allowed  these  beasts  to  burst 
through  also.  If  the  Bakatla  had  acted  according  to 
the  custom  of  the  country,  they  would  have  speared 
the  lions  in  their  attempt  to  get  out.  Seeing  we  could 
not  get  them  to  kill  one  of  the  lions,  we  bent  our 
footsteps  towards  the  village.  In  going  round  the  end 
of  the  hill,  however,  I  saw  one  of  the  beasts  sitting  on 
a  piece  of  rock  as  before,  but  this  time  he  had  a  little 
bush  in  front.  Being  about  forty  yards  off,  I  took  a 
good  aim  at  his  body  through  the  bush,  and  fired  both 
barrels  into  it.  The  men  then  called  out,  *  He  is  shot ! 
he  is  shot ! '  others  cried,  '  He  l^as  been  shot  by  another 
man  too  ;  let  us  go  to  him  ! '  I  did  not  see  any  one 
else  shoot  at  him,  but  I  saw  the  lion's  tail  erected  in 
anger  behind  the  bush,  and  turning  to  the  people,  said, 


THE   LION    OF    SOUTH    AFEICA.  93 

*  Stop  a  little,  till  I  load  again.'     When  in  the  act  of 
ramming  down  the  bullets  I  heard  a  shout.     Starting,  # 
and  looking  half  round,  I  saw  the  lion  just  in  the  act 
of  springing  upon  me." 

This  was  the  occasion  on  which  Livingstone  was 
knocked  down,  and,  as  it  will  be  remembered,  the  lion 
quitted  him  to  throw  himself  on  the  other  aggressor : 
this  one  was  bitten  on  the  thigh.  ** Another  man," 
he  continues,  "  whose  life  I  had  saved  before,  after  he 
had  been  tossed  by  a  buffalo,  attempted  to  spear  the 
lion  while  he  was  biting  Mebalwe.  He  left  Mebalwe 
and  caught  this  man  by  the  shoulder,  but  at  that 
moment  the  bullets  he  had  received  took  effect,  and  he 
fell  down  dead.  The  whole  was  the  work  of  a  few 
moments,  and  must  have  been  his  paroxysm  of  dying 
rage.  In  order  to  take  out  the  charm  from  him,  the 
Bakatla  on  the  following  day  made  a  huge  bonfire  over 
the  carcase,  which  was  declared  to  be  that  of  the 
largest  lion  they  had  ever  seen.  Besides  crunching 
the  bone  into  splinters,  he  left  eleven  teeth-wounds  on 
the  upper  part  of  the  arm." 

To  see  Europeans  at  the  work,  let  us  now  return  to 
that  buffalo  which  had  started  up  at  the  approach  of 
Messrs.  Oswell  and  Vardon,  and  which  we  left  at  the 
moment  when  three  lions  were  upon  him  tearing  him 
with  their  teeth. 

**  We  crept  up  within  thirty  yards,  and  kneeling  down 


94  THE    LION   OP    SOUTH    AFRICA. 

blazed  away  at  the  lions.  One  lion  fell  dead  almost 
*  on  the  buffalo ;  he  had  merely  time  to  turn  towards  us, 
seize  a  bush  with  his  teeth,  and  drop  dead  v/ith  the 
stick  in  his  jaws.  The  second  made  off  immediately; 
and  the  third  raised  his  head,  coolly  looked  round  for 
a  moment,  then  went  on  tearing  and  biting  at  the 
carcase  as  hard  as  ever.  "We  retired  a  short  distance 
to  load,  then  again  advanced  and  fired :  the  lion  made 
off,  but  a  ball  that  he  received  ought  to  have  stopped 
him,  as  it  went  clean  through  his  shoulder-blade.  He 
was  followed  up  and  killed,  after  having  charged  several 
times.'* 

The  colonists  generally  hunt  the  lion  on  horseback. 
But  they  only  hazard  themselves  on  the  plain.  They 
go  two  or  three  together,  in  order  to  help  each  other  in 
case  of  need,  and  if  the  game  holds  to  any  cover  they 
send  dogs  in  to  induce  it  to  show  itself. 

The  attitude  of  the  lion  is  very  different  according 
as  he  sees  the  hunters  are  near  or  at  a  distance.  In 
the  first  case  he  flies  with  all  his  speed ;  in  the  other 
he  moves  to  and  fro  with  a  fierce  air,  but  without 
permitting  himself  to  seem  in  the  least  trouble.  When 
sharply  pursued  he  soon  slackens  his  pace,  and  at 
length  stops,  faces  his  enemies,  shakes  himself,  and 
utters  a  short  roar.  This  is  the  moment  for  action. 
The  nearest  hunter  fires,  and  if  he  has  missed  his 
mark,  or  only  wounded  the  lion,  he  gallops  off;   then 


THE    LION    OF    SOUTH   AFEICA.  95 

comes  tlie  turn  of  the  second,  and  in  case  of  need  of 
the  third;  and  then,  if  this  is  not  enough,  the  two 
first,  who  have  by  this  time  reloaded  their  guns,  again 
enter  the  lists ;  and  so  they  continue  until  the  lion  is 
at  last  obliged  to  acknowledge  himself  vanquished. 

It  is  said  that  there  has  been  no  instance  of  a 
colonist  paying  the  price  of  his  life  for  the  pleasures 
of  this  si^ort. 

It  is,  however,  not  merely  a  pleasure ;  it  is  an  abso- 
lute necessity  for  those  who  live  in  the  remote  parts  of 
the  colony,  as  they  have  to  defend  their  cattle  against 
the  attacks  of  this  insatiable  marauder.  '*  They  are 
always  eager  for  the  chase,"  says  Sparrman :  *'  the 
peasants  with  whom  I  was  hunting  seemed  only  to 
long  for  an  encounter,  quite  regardless  of  any  possible 
danger  likely  to  happen  to  them — from  which,  indeed, 
they  felt  themselves  quite  secure.'* 

Le  Yaillant  tells  of  a  wadow  who  kept  house  by 
herself,  and  who,  when  wild  beasts  came  to  alarm  her 
flocks,  would  mount  on  horseback,  pursue  them  vigor- 
ously, and  never  give  in  until  she  had  either  killed 
them  or  driven  them  away  from  her  canton. 

We  have  seen  the  part  which  dogs  bear  in  this  sport 
—  sometimes,  indeed,  they  really  do  all  the  work. 
Twelve  or  fifteen  of  the  dogs  bred  by  the  Cape  farmers 
will  perform  wonders.  When  the  lion  sees  them 
approach,  his  pride  prevents  him  from  going  away ;  ho 


96  THE    LION    OF    SOUTH   AFRICA. 

sits  down  and  waits  for  them.  Then  the  dogs  sur- 
round him,  and  rushing  on  him  all  at  once,  they  com- 
mence tearing  him  to  pieces.  They  rarely  give  him 
time  to  strike  more  than  one  or  two  blows  with  his 
paws,  each  one  of  which,  however,  is  sure  and  certain 
death  to  two  or  three  of  his  assailants. 

The  natives  sometimes  dig  pitfalls  for  lions,  as  care- 
fully concealed  as  possible ;  but  it  very  rarely  happens 
that  the  cautious  animal  is  caught  therein. 

A  traveller  asserts  that  the  following  stratagem  suc- 
ceeded : — *'  They  place,''  says  he,  '^  the  figure  of  a  man 
near  to  some  guns,  disposed  in  such  a  manner  that 
they  will  discharge  themselves  into  the  body  of  the 
animal  the  moment  he  springs  on  the  mannikin.  As 
this  method  is  as  easy  as  it  is  sure,  and  as  they  are  not 
particularly  anxious  to  take  the  lions  alive,  the  colonists 
rarely  put  themselves  to  the  trouble  of  laying  pit-hole 
traps  for  them."  There  are,  however,  not  wanting 
instances  in  which  lions  have  discovered  this  mine. 

**A  lion,"  continues  the  same  traveller,  ^'had  broken 
through  the  bars  of  a  gateway  into  a  walled  enclosure 
in  which  the  cattle  were  kept,  and  committed  great 
ravages  there.  The  people  of  the  farm,  not  doubting 
but  that  he  would  return  by  the  same  way,  bristled  the 
entry  with  loaded  firearms  attached  to  a  cord  stretched 
across  the  gateway,  and  feeling  quite  satisfied  that  he 
could  not  enter  without  disturbin<]:  them.      The  lion 


THE   LION   OF    SOUTH   AFBICA.  97 

returned  a  little  before  niglitfall.  He  had  probably 
some  suspicion  of  this  cord  :  he  examined  it  with  his 
paw,  and,  without  exhibiting  the  least  fear  of  the  artil- 
lery roaring  in  his  ears,  entered  boldly,  and  devoured 
the  prey  which  he  had  left  the  previous  evening/' 

To  conclude  this  subject,  we  will  describe  the  siege  of 
a  thick  brake  of  underwood,  in  which  a  whole  family  of 
lions  had  taken  up  their  domicile.  An  entire  horde  of 
Hottentots  were  on  foot,  armed  with  spears  and  other 
weapons.  Even  the  women  and  children  had  joined  the 
party — not  to  fight,  but  to  look  on.  Le  Vaillant  com- 
manded the  expedition.  The  following  is  an  abridg- 
ment of  his  account  of  the  adventure  : — 

**  The  thicket  was  about  two  hundred  yards  long 
by  sixty  wide.  The  space  it  occupied  was  lower  than 
the  surrounding  land,  so  that  to  penetrate  into  it  we 
had  to  descend.  It  was  composed  mostly  of  thorn 
bushes,  with  some  mimosas  which  rose  towards  the 
centre. 

'^  In  the  impossibility  of  attacking  the  two  formidable 
beasts  in  their  entrenchment,  it  became  a  question  as 
to  the  best  method  of  getting  them  out  of  it.  I  de- 
cided to  place  my  marksmen,  at  short  distances  apart 
on  the  heights  all  round  the  wood,  in  such  a  manner 
that  the  lions  could  not  gain  the  plain  without  being 
seen,  being  persuaded  that  as  soon  as  we  could  get 
them  into  the  open  country  we  should  find  ourselves 

H 


98  THE   LION    OF    SOUTH    AFBICA. 

the  strongest,  and  should  not  be  long  in  gaining  the 
victory. 

''When  we  were  all  at  our  posts,  oxen  were  driven  in 
advance,  and  by  dint  of  shouting  and  lashing  we  forced 
them  into  the  thicket.  At  the  same  time  my  dogs 
began  to  bark;  and  in  order  to  frighten  the  lions 
and  compel  them  to  come  out,  pistols  were  frequently 
discharged.  The  oxen,  on  scenting  the  enemy,  fell 
back  in  terror,  and  rushed  towards  us ;  but,  driven  back 
by  our  clamouring,  by  the  barldng  of  the  dogs,  and 
the  noise  of  our  arms,  they  became  furious,  striking 
against  each  other  and  bellowing  in  a  fearful  manner. 
The  lions,  on  their  part,  were  now  growing  angry,  and 
exhibited  their  rage  by  horrible  roars.  "We  heard  them 
successively  in  all  parts  of  the  thicket,  without  their 
daring  to  show  themselves  anywhere.  The  collision  of 
two  opposing  armies  is  not  more  clamorous  than  were 
their  defiant  roarings,  confounded  as  they  were  with  the 
animated  shouts  of  the  men,  the  noise  of  the  dogs,  and 
the  furious  bellowing  of  the  oxen.  This  frightful  concert 
lasted  a  good  part  of  the  morning,  and  I  had  already 
begun  to  despair  of  the  success  of  our  enterprise,  when 
suddenly  I  heard  piercing  cries  from  the  opposite  side, 
immediately  followed  by  the  firing  of  a  gun,  and  at  the 
same  time  succeeded  by  shouts  of  joy.  I  ran  over  to 
the  spot,  and  found  the  lioness  expiring.  She  had  at 
last  sprung  out  of  her  stronghold  and  thrown  herself 


THE    LION    OF    SOUTH   AFrJCA.  99 

furiously  on  my  troop  ;  but  Klaas  had  fired  and  shot 
her  through  the  body.  It  was  evident  from  the  appear- 
ance of  her  udders  that  she  had  young  ones,  and  I  was 
not  deceived  in  my  conjectures.  It  occurred  to  me  to 
make  use  of  her  body  to  attract  them  out  of  the  thicket. 
With  this  design  I  caused  her  to  be  dragged  out  and 
placed  at  a  certain  distance,  not  doubting  but  that  they 
would  follow  her  scent  and  approach  her,  or  perhaps 
that  the  male  would  follow,  either  to  avenge  her  or  to 
defend  them. 

"  But  my  rusB  was  useless,  and  we  spent  several  hours 
in  vain  waiting  for  them.  The  cubs,  being  disquieted 
at  not  seeing  their  mother,  ran  growling  all  round  the 
stronghold ;  and  the  male  himself,  separated  from  her, 
redoubled  his  angry  roars.  We  saw  him  for  an 
instant  on  the  outskirt,  his  eyes  on  fire,  his  mane 
bristling  up,  and  lashing  his  sides  with  his  tail ;  but 
he  was  out  of  reach  of  my  rifle.  One  of  my  gunners, 
posted  more  advantageously,  missed  him,  and  he  disap- 
peared. The  sun  was  going  down,  and  we  decided  to 
put  off  the  aJfFair  until  the  following  day.  The  following 
day  the  three  lions  had  decamped." 


h2 


CHAPTER   V. 

The  mufflon  is  one  of  the  mammals  most  characte- 
ristic of  the  island  of  Corsica.  It  is  not,  however, 
peculiar  to  that  island;  it  is  also  found  in  Sardinia, 
in  Crete,  and  in   Spain. 

In  the  summer  it  keeps  to  the  plateaus  which  border 
the  regions  of  eternal  snow ;  during  the  winter  it  de- 
scends lower.  In  the  extreme  cold  it  seeks  the  deserted 
cabins  in  which  the  shepherds  had  lodged  in  the  sum- 
mer ;  and  it  is  said  that  in  some  exceptional  winters 
mufBOns  have  been  seen  mingling  with  the  horses, 
mules,  and  sheep  in  the  stables. 

They  go  habitually  in  flocks  of  from  five  or  six  at 
least,  to  twenty  or  twenty-five  at  most,  browsing 
the  different  kinds  of  grass,  and  the  young  shoots  of 
many  kinds  of  trec3  and  shrubs,  those  of  the  ivy 
above  all.  Whilst  they  are  feeding  an  old  male  keeps 
sentry  on  some  elevated  point;  at  the  least  danger 
the  alarm  is  given,  and  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye 
all  have  disappeared  in  the  ravines;  and  they  bound 


'an    old    MAl.K    KKKPS    SENTKY." 


[/*(/(,'«  10). 


THE    MUFFLON.  101 

from   rock  to  rock,  gaining  places  so    steep  that  no 
human  foot  could  reach  them. 

Important  zoological  questions  have  arisen  with 
reference  to  this  animal.  It  is  said  that  Buffon  con- 
sidered it  to  be  the  original  stock  of  the  different 
varieties  of  the  domestic  sheep. 

"I  do  not  know  from  my  own  experience,"  writes 
M.  H.  Aucapitaine,  ^'anything  to  justify  this  assertion. 

'^  In  Corsica,  the  country  of  the  mufflon,  one  ought  to 
be  able  most  easily  to  discover  the  connection  between 
this  animal  and  the  sheep  of  the  country.  Now  there 
seems  to  be  no  affinity  between  these  two  species, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  Corsican  shepherds 
leave  their  flocks  at  full  liberty  in  the  higher  regions  of 
the  mountains,  where  the  mufflons  could  most  easily 
mingle  with  the  sheep.  No  cross  has  ever  been  ob- 
served between  these  animals,  except  in  exclusive  cases 
when  the  mufflons  were  in  captivity.  Unfortunately, 
so  far  as  I  know,  the  results  of  these  couplings  have 
nowhere  been  followed  up." 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Prince  P.  N.  Buonaparte 
writes  : — 

''  The     mufflon     reproduces    itself    when   in    cap 
tivity,   both  with  the   sheep   and  the  goat.     In  both 
cases  the  mixed  breed  is  prolific.     These  facts  have 
been  many  times  established,  both  by  ourselves  and  by 
many  other  inhabitants  of  Corsica ;    and  they  upset 


102  THE   MUFFLON. 

the  theories  of  the  learned.  "We  can  affirm  also  that 
the  mufflons  breed  with  the  gazelle  ;  and  a  tame  stag 
in  the  enclosure  of  our  house  killed  two  mufiSons 
which  we  possessed,  from  jealousy,''^ 

''  There  are,"  says  the  author  whom  we  have  just 
quoted,  *^  three  methods  of  hunting  the  mufflon :  by 
caccla  piutta,  that  is,  by  surprise.  The  hunters  start 
some  hours  before  daybreak  to  gain  the  heights  which 
command  the  dales  and  mountain  sides  where  the 
game  is  to  be  met  with.  Sometimes  they  bivouac 
the  previous  evening  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood, 
if  the  wind  is  favourable.  At  daybreak  they  place 
themselves  on  the  look-out.  The  mufflons  do  not 
move  until  the  sun  shines  on  their  pasturage.  If  the 
weather  is  cloudy,  they  come  out  later,  and  are  much 
more  distrustful. 

**  As  soon  as  they  are  perceived,  their  position  is 
marked,  and  the  hunters  creep  near  to  them,  often  on 
their  hands  and  knees,  to  protect  themselves  from  all 
accidents  of  the  ground,  rocks,  trees,  or  bushes.  It  is 
necessary  to  be  to  the  windward,  otherwise  every  other 
precaution  would  be  useless ;  they  are  off  like  lightning, 
before  it  is  possible  to  get  within  range  of  them.  By 
the  greatest  caution  it  is  sometimes  possible  to  get 
sufficiently  near  to  shoot  them  with  buckshot.  It  is 
always  well  to  load  one  barrel  with  a  ball,  for  distant 
firing,  and  when  the  game  is  still. 


THE    MUFFLON.  103 

"  Whatever  braggarts  may  assert— and  they  are  not 
wanting,  even  in  Corsica — when  the  mufflon  has  seen 
the  hunter,  it  is  by  the  merest  chance  that  he  can 
touch  him  with  a  ball.  He  darts  like  a  flash  through 
everything  into  the  abyss ;  and  if  he  is  wounded  he 
takes  refuge  in  inaccessible  crevices,  where  he  dies,  and 
is  soon  devoured  by  the  eagles  and  vultures.  Often, 
after  many  hours,  and  even  days  of  searching,  they 
come  upon  him  in  the  most  impossible  places,  by 
means  of  ropes  and  ladders. 

"The  most  frequent  method  is  to  occupy  the  high 
mountain  ridges,  by  which  the  mufflons  fly  the  mo- 
ment they  hear  the  least  noise.  Some  beaters  are 
stationed  on  the  mountain  sides,  shouting  and  rolling 
down  blocks  of  rock  with  a  noise  of  thunder;  and  if 
we  are  posted  to  windward,  we  are  not  long  in  seeing 
the  mufllons  approach. 

"But  the  best  sport  that  can  be  made  is  with  one, 
two,  or  at  most  three  of  the  dogs  of  the  country, 
accustomed  to  the  mountains  and  the  game. 

"  In  winter  the  mufllons  descend  to  where  the  snow 
fails,  and  they  do  not  pass  over  that  limit  unless  they 
are  pursued.  Ordinarily  they  are  found  on  the  wooded 
sides  of  the  mountains,  or  on  the  open  spaces  between 
the  great  rocks.  The  hunters  follow  them  into  their 
retreat  in  the  snow,  or  rather  on  the  borders  of  it. 
This  is  very  difficult,  for  the  distance,  the  frost,  and 


104  THE    MUFFLON. 

the  slipperiness  of  the  descent,  cause  a  delay  of 
several  hours  in  reaching  the  post  of  action.  On 
attaining  it,  a  man  stationed  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain  enters  the  wood  with  the  dogs,  and  soon 
finds  the  game,  which  is  not  slow  in  giving  up 
possession  of  the  spot  to  him." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

This  animal  is  found  in  the  frozen  regions  of  North 
America,  and  particularly^-according  to  Hearne — in 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  polar  circle.  He  is  with- 
out a  muzzle,  which  circumstance  has  induced  Blanville 
to  separate  him  from  the  ox  species,  and  to  classify 
him  separately,  under  the  name  of  Ovibos.  He  is 
small  in  size  and  very  low  on  his  legs,  and  covered 
with  an  enormous  quantity  of  wool  and  dark-brown 
hair,  which  in  winter  reaches  almost  to  the  ground. 
On  his  back  there  is  a  whitish  place,  which  is  called 
the  saddle.  Large  horns,  flattened  at  the  base,  cover 
his  head  like  a  kind  of  casque ;  they  are  enormous, 
and  are  said  to  weigh  almost  fifty  pounds.  It  derives 
its  name  from  the  odour  which  its  flesh  exhales  at 
certain  epochs,  and  especially  at  the  beginning  of 
spring.  This  odour  is  so  strong  that  it  communi- 
cates itself   to   the   knives   with   which  the  flesh  is 


106  THE    MUSK   OX. 

cut  up.  Excepting  in  this  season,  and  when  the 
musk  ox  is  fat,  his  flesh  is  excellent. 

He  feeds  on  grass  and  moss  during  one  part  of 
the  year,  and  on  lichens  during  the  other  part. 

Notwithstanding  the  shortness  of  his  limbs,  he 
gallops  with  great  speed,  and  the  facility  with  which 
he  climbs  the  mountains  can  only  be  compared  to 
that  of  goats. 

In  September  the  musk  oxen  assemble  together 
in  herds  more  or  less  numerous,  not  to  emigrate, 
for  Parry  has  killed  many  of  them  on  Melville 
Island,  but  probably  for  mutual  protection  against 
the  wolves,  which  abound  in  those  parts. 

Lieutenant  M.  E.  de  Bray  relates  the  following 
hunt  of  the  musk  ox,  in  a  note  communicated  to 
VAcademie  cles  Sciences:— > 

*'  When  musk  oxen  are  attacked  by  hunters,  they 
assemble  together,  form  a  very  compact  phalanx, 
putting  the  young  animals  in  the  centre,  their  hind 
quarters  being  directed  towards  the  centre,  and  thus 
presenting  their  heads  to  the  enemy  in  every  direction. 
The  males  tear  up  the  earth  with  their  horns  and 
fore  feet,  thus  preparing  themselves  for  the  combat. 
One  of  them,  the  oldest  of  the  herd,  places  himself 
in  front,  like  a  general  at  the  head  of  his  army, 
and   advances   cautiously  to    reconnoitre  the    enemy, 


;jlij!ilt||l!i:||ii 


iilij::'ii:!.iiii:u«fVijii  m 


THE    MUSK   OX,  107 

and  watching  attentively  tlie  least  movement  on  the 
part  of  the  hunters. 

"  This  survey  being  accomplished,  he  retires  to  his 
post  and  awaits  the  attack.  Then  it  is  that  this 
animal  appears  in  all  his  majestic  beauty;  and  when 
the  hunter  finds  himself  for  the  first  time  in  his 
presence,  he  must  muster  up  his  courage  and 
strengthen  his  nerves.  But  although  seemingly  so 
terrible,  these  animals,  either  stupid  or  over-confi- 
dent in  their  strength,  allow  the  hunters  to  approach 
within  a  short  distance,  and  then  at  the  first  gun- 
shot the  whole  herd  takes  flight,  abandoning  the 
dead  and  the  wounded.  I  have  often  seen  five  or 
six  hunters  destroy  a  herd  of  a  score  of  them.  On 
one  occasion  only  have  I  seen  one  of  these  animals 
charge;  it  is  true  that  the  poor  beast  had  twelve 
balls  in  his  body,  and  being  unable  to  fly,  ho 
defended  himself   to  the  last  moment.'* 

This  last  story  scarcely  accords  with  what  Eoss 
relates : — 

A  musk  ox,  in  vdiose  body  he  had  lodged  three 
balls,  threw  himself  upon  him,  and  the  illustrious 
sailor  owed  his  safety  entirely  to  a  large  fragment 
of  rock,  behind  which  he  took  refuge,  the  animal's 
head  coming  in  contact  with  it  with  prodigious 
force. 


108  THE    MUSK    OX. 

He  was  eaten  raw  by  the  Esquimaux,  who  on  this 
occasion  surpassed  even  themselves  in  gluttony. 

Filled,  but  still  hungry,  they  extended  themselves 
on  the  ground,  with  their  hands  full  of  meat,  waiting 
lor  a  fresh  void  in  their  asDphagus,  which  they  at 
once  replenished^ 


THE    GIRAFFE. 


[Paue  109. 


CHAPTER   VIL 

It  is  to  Le  Yaillant  tliat  we  owe  our  first  exact  ideas 
respecting  the  giraffe,  1783-5. 

With  what  a  transport  of  joy  he  writes  in  describing 
the  first  giraffe  which  fell  under  his  hand  ! 

*'Pain,  fatigue,  cruel  want,  uncertainty  for  the 
future,  disgust  sometimes  for  the  past,  all  disappeared 
in  presence  of  this  new  prey.  •  I  could  not  withdraw 
myself  from  contemplating  it.  I  measured  its  enor- 
mous height.  I  looked  with  astonishment  from  the 
animal  destroyed  to  the  instrument  which  had  de- 
stroyed him.  I  called  my  people  to  examine  him  over 
and  over  again  ;  and  although  each  one  of  them  could 
have  done  as  much,  and  although  we  had  slaughtered 
heavier  and  far  more  dangerous  animals,  yet  I  had 
been  the  first  to  kill  this  one;  and  I  was  about  to 
enrich  natural  history,  to  destroy  romance,  and  in 
my  turn  to   establish  a  truth." 

This  giraffe  measured  sixteen  feet  three  inches  from 
bis  hoofs  to  his  head.  In  general  the  males  measure 
from   fifteen   feet  to  fifteen  feet  six  inches,  and   the 


110  THE    GIRAFFE. 

females  from  thirteen  to  fourteen  feet.  They  feed  on 
the  leaves  of  trees,  particularly  of  the  mimosa,  and 
also  on  the  herbage  of  the  prairies,  which  they  can 
browse  without  kneeling  down,  although  the  contrary 
has  been  stated.  But  they  often  lie  down,  either  to 
ruminate  or  to  sleep,  from  which  cause  a  considerable 
callosity  is  formed  on  the  sternum  and  on  the  knees. 
These  animals  are  peaceable  and  timid,  and  in  presence 
of  any  danger  their  first  movement  is  to  fly.  They  trot 
very  swiftly,  and  a  good  horse  can  with  difficulty  keep 
pace  with  them.  But  what  a  singular  gait !  perched  at 
the  extremity  of  a  long  neck,  which  works  in  a  single 
piece  from  the  shoulders,  the  head  incessantly  sways 
backwards  and  forwards,  as  if  the  animal  were  lame. 
When  we  see  him  in  front,  the  anterior  part  of  the 
body  being  much  larger  than  the  posterior,  it  is  easy 
to  fancy  ourselves  in  front  of  the  trunk  of  a  dead  tree. 
Although  giraffes  flee  from  danger,  it  is  not  cor- 
rect to  say  that  they  will  make  no  resistance  when  the 
opportunity  of  flight  is  closed  to  them.  It  is  true  that 
their  means  of  defence  are  but  small.  Their  frontal 
horny  protuberances  do  not  appear  to  be  of  any 
assistance  to  them.  Le  Yaillant  never  saw  them 
use  them  against  his  dogs ;  but  they  have  their 
feet,  and  they  use  them  very  courageously.  The 
hind  quarters  are  so  light,  and  their  kicks  so  rapid, 
that  the  eye  cannot  follow  them ;  and  this  means  of 


THE    GIRAFFE.  Ill 

resistance  has  succeeded  perfectly,  even  against  the 
lion  himself. 

A  Namaquois  came  one  day  in  great  haste  to  inform 
Le  Vaillant  that  he  had  seen  in  the  neighbourhood  a 
giraffe  browsing  the  leaves  of  a  mimosa  tree. 

"Full  of  joy,  I  instantly  leapt  upon  one  of  my 
horses,  and  made  Bemfry  mount  another,  and  followed 
by  my  dogs,  I  galloped  towards  the  mimosa  indicated ; 
but  the  giraffe  was  no  longer  there.  We  saw  him 
crossing  the  plain  on  the  western  side,  and  we  spurred 
on  to  overtake  him.  He  was  trotting  along  lightly, 
without,  however,  exerting  himself  unduly.  We  gal- 
loped after  him,  and  from  time  to  time  fired  several 
shots  after  him ;  but  imperceptibly  he  gained  so  much 
upon  us,  that  after  following  him  for  three  hours,  we 
were  forced  to  stop,  our  horses  being  quite  blown,  and 
we  lost  sight  of  him." 

This  gives  an  idea  of  the  swiftness  of  the  giraffe. 

Another  opportunity  presented  itself  on  the  following 
day,  on  which  occasion  five  giraffes  were  hunted  during 
the  whole  day,  but  they  effected  their  escape  under 
cover  of  the  night. 

At  length,  the  following  day  was  for  M.  Vaillant  ono 
of  the  happiest  of  his  life. 

**  I  started  on  a  hunting  expedition  at  daybreak,  in 
the  hope  of  finding  some  game  for  provisions. 

**  After  some  hours'  march,  we  perceived,  on  turning 


112  THE    GIEAFFE. 

a  little  hill,  seven  giraffes,  which  my  dogs  at  once 
attacked.  Six  of  them  took  to  flight  together.  The 
seventh,  cut  off  by  the  dogs,  started  off  in  the  opposite 
direction, 

"  Bemfry  at  that  moment  was  dismounted,  and 
leading  his  horse  by  the  bridle.  In  less  than  a 
twinkling  he  was  in  the  saddle,  and  started  in  pursuit 
of  the  first  six.  As  for  me,  I  followed  the  other  at  full 
gallop ;  but  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  my  horse,  he  soon 
gained  so  much  upon  me,  that  in  turning  a  hill  he 
disappeared  from  my  sight  and  I  gave  up  the  pursuit. 

"Nevertheless,  my  dogs  were  not  long  in  reaching 
him,  and  he  was  compelled  to  stop  to  defend  himself. 

*'  From  the  place  where  I  was  I  heard  them  giving 
tongue  with  all  their  might;  and  as  their  barking 
seemed  always  to  proceed  from  the  same  spot,  I  conclu- 
ded that  the  animal  was  surrounded  by  them,  and  I 
immediately  spurred  on  towards  them. 

*^  In  fact,  I  had  scarcely  turned  round  the  knoll  when 
I  perceived  him  surrounded  by  the  dogs,  and  endea- 
vouring by  rapid  kicks  to  keep  them  off.  I  at  once  dis- 
mounted, and  a  shot  from  my  rifle  brought  him  down. 

"  Delighted  with  my  victory,  I  returned  to  call  my 
people  to  flay  and  cut  up  the  animal.  Whilst  I  was 
looking  about  me,  I  saw  Klaas  Barter,  who,  with  an 
air  of  great  earnestness,  was  making  signs  to  me, 
which  at  first  I  could  not  comprehend.     But,  turning 


THE    GIRAFFE.  113 

my  eyes  in  the  direction  indicated  by  his  hand,  I 
perceived  with  surprise  a  giraffe,  under  a  great  ebony 
tree,  assailed  by  my  dogs.  I  thought  this  must  be 
another  one,  and  ran  towards  him.  It  was  the  same, 
which  had  got  up,  but  which,  just  as  I  was  about  to 
fire  a  second  time,  fell  down  dead.'* 

This  large  game  was  becoming  scarce,  and  the 
people  of  our  traveller  were  almost  dying  of  hunger. 
They  shared  the  animal  amongst  themselves,  first 
selecting  for  the  master  some  choice  bits,  which  he  ate 
broiled,  and  which  he  found  excellent.  The  thin  bones 
placed  on  a  brazier  of  hot  coals  furnished  marrow  as 
white  and  firm  as  mutton  tallow,  and  was  very  appe- 
tizing. **  I  had  never  before  seen  any  so  fine,  and  I 
regretted  much  not  having  any  bread  to  make  toast 
with  it.  I  had  a  certain  quantity  of  it  melted,  with 
which  I  filled  the  giraffe's  bladder ;  and  this  provision 
served  me  for  a  long  time  in  cooking  cutlets  from  the 
same  animal." 

But  these  material  necessities  could  not  make  Le 
Vaillant  forget  the  interests  of  science.  We  shall  be 
glad  to  learn  the  means  which  he  adopted  in  the  midst 
of  a  desert  in  central  Afiica  to  prepare  the  skin  of  the 
gigantic  animal. 

'•  Klaas,"  he  writes  (his  factotum),  *'  had  swept  and 
levelled  a  piece  of  ground  about  twenty  feet  square 
I  had  the  sldn  spread  out  there,  with  the  hair  under- 

I 


114  THE    GIRAFFE. 

neatli,  the  sides  and  corners  being  kept  down  with 
large  stones. 

^'  I  had  to  dry  the  skin  of  my  giraffe,  to  consume 
the  grease,  and  to  destroy  all  the  causes  of  fermenta- 
tion, which  might  rot  or  damage  it.  With  this  design 
I  had  great  fires  made,  in  order  to  use  the  cinders.  I 
spread  these  cinders  on  the  skin,  taking  care  that  it 
was  covered  entirely,  and  quite  equally. 

*^  It  remained  in  this  state  during  the  whole  night ; 
and,  lest  some  hyaena  should  come  to  it,  under  the 
cover  of  the  darkness,  to  devour  the  fragments,  I 
pitched  my  tent  quite  close  to  my  treasure. 

"  The  dissection  of  the  head  and  the  hoofs  took  me 
the  whole  afternoon  of  the  following  day,  because  I 
could  not  obtain,  and,  indeed,  I  did  not  wish  any  aid 
but  that  of  Klaas.  The  hoofs  cost  me  little  trouble ; 
but  it  was  not  so  with  the  head.  "We  began  upon  this 
by  raising  the  skin  from  the  jaw-bones  and  cheeks-,  and 
by  taking  away  the  flesh  from  underneath,  replacing  it 
by  tow,  to  preserve  the  form.  The  eyes  were  treated 
in  the  same  manner  %  after  having  taken  out  the  globe 
of  the  eye,  and  dried  its  orbit  with  hot  cinders,  I  filled 
the  cavity  with  tow,  in  order  to  sustain  the  eyelids. 

*'  The  most  difficult  operation  was  the  extraction  of 
the  brain,  which  in  the  giraffe  is  large  ;  and  I  was 
the  more  embarrassed  because  I  desired  to  extract  it 
without  incision   or  fracture.     At   last  I  thought  of 


THE    GIHAFFE,  115 

sponging  it  out,  so  to  speak,  little  by  little.  We 
managed  to  do  this  by  the  aid  of  a  steel  point,  fur- 
nished at  the  end  with  bristles  from  the  kros  of  my 
Hottentots ;  and  which,  thus  changed  into  a  pencil, 
was  introduced  into  the  bony  cavity  of  the  cranium. 
I  filled  the  empty  cranium  with  hot  cinders.  As  to 
the  anterior  part  of  the  head,  from  the  nostrils  to  the 
bony  appendages,  which  in  this  animal  form  a  kind 
of  horns,  I  had  nothing  to  do,  because,  not  being 
fleshy,  I  had  simply  to  dry  it. 

''From  time  to  time  I  renewed  the  cinders  on  the 
ckin ;  I  even  kept  up  great  fires  for  many  days  to- 
gether, solely  for  the  purpose  of  having  these  cinders. 
They  operated  at  once  by  the  combined  action  of  their 
desiccative  and  alkaline  property;  and  this  method 
succeeded  admirably." 

This  skin  was  brought  to  Europe ;  and  Le  Vaillant 
expressed  his  regret  at  not  having  an  apartment  suffi- 
ciently high  to  exhibit  the  animal,  and  to  offer  to 
amateurs  a  true  model  of  what  the  animal  is  in  nature. 

Let  us  transport  ourselves  now  to  the  other  extremity 
of  Africa — ^Nubia. 

Five  or  six  men,  mounted  on  good  horses,  plunge 
into  the  desert,  accompanied  by  camels  carrying  water 
and  provisions.  When  they  discover  their  prey  they 
separate,  and,  shouting  aloud,  they  manoeuvre  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  drive  him  towards  a  wood.     The  animal, 

I  2 


116  THE   GIRAFFE. 

hoping  to  get  out  of  their  sight,  is  not  slow  in  falling 
into  the  trap.  He  plunges  in  amongst  the  trees,  seeks 
the  thickest  part  of  the  wcod,  hut  the  bushes  and  the 
branches  hindering  his  progress,  the  hunters  gain  upon 
him ;  and,  as  if  the  natural  obstacles  were  not  enough, 
they  stretch  cords  across  the  path  of  the  giraffe.  He 
falls,  and  they  throw  a  halter  over  him.  If  he  refuses 
to  walk,  they  kill  him,  in  order  at  least  to  obtain  his 
skin.  This  is  an  extremity  to  which  they  are  never 
reduced  with  the  young  ones  :  more  docile  than  the 
adults,  they  follow  the  hunters,  who  sell  them  in  the 
neighbouring  villages. 

But  the  giraffe  has  other  enemies  besides  man. 
There  is  the  lion. 

If  the  giraffe  is  vigorous,  he  sometimes  succeeds 
in  escaping  from  him.  A  traveller  relates  having  seen 
two  whose  shoulders  bore  indelible  marks  of  their 
having  carried  the  monarch  of  the  forest  on  their 
backs,  and  that  they  had  come  off  victorious  from  the 
struggle.  The  lion  always  endeavours  to  throw  himself 
on  the  giraffe's  back;  plunging  his  sharp  claws  into 
the  shoulders,  he  gnaws  before  him  until  he  reaches 
the  vertebrae  of  the  neck,  then  the  two  animals  fall 
together,  and  the  lion  is  often  maimed  in  the  struggle ; 
and  sometimes  even  worse  luck  befalls  him. 

A  young  savage  in  South  America,  returning  to  his 
village,  stopped  at  a  spring  to  quench  his  thirst ;  then 


THE    GIRAFFE.  117 

lying  down  on  tlio  bank,  he  fell  asleep.  Awakened  by 
the  hot  rays  of  the  sun,  he  perceived  through  a  bush  a 
giraffe  browsing  on  the  leaves  of  a  mimosa,  and  at  a 
few  yards'  distance  a  lion,  motionless,  watching  the 
giraffe,  and  preparing  to  spring  upon  him.  He  at 
length  made  his  spring,  and,  with  a  gigantic  bound, 
threw  himself  towards  the  head  of  the  animal.  The 
giraffe  quicldy  leaped  aside,  and  so  cleverly,  that  the 
lion  fell  on  his  back  into  the  middle  of  a  thorn-bush. 
The  giraffe  immediately  scampered  off,  and  the  negro 
was  not  slow  in  imitating  him,  not  doubting  but  that 
the  lion  would  soon  be  on  his  footsteps. 

Some  time  afterwards  eagles  were  seen  wheeling 
round  above  the  mimosa.  On  search  being  made 
the  carcase  of  a  lion  was  found,  extended  on  a  bed  of 
thorns. 


CHAPTER  Vni. 

Tapirs  have  the  general  form  of  the  hog,  but  they  are 
distinguished  from  it  at  first  sight  by  a  little  fleshy 
proboscis,  susceptible  of  being  lengthened  out  or  with- 
drawn. This  proboscis  is  not  like  that  of  the  elephant, 
an  organ  of  prehension. 

There  are  many  species  of  the  tapir.  One  called 
the  American  Tapir,  is  common  enough  in  the  hot 
countries  of  South  America.  Another  is  met  with  in 
the  most  elevated  regions  of  the  Cordilleras,  and  the 
Andes.  A  third  inhabits  the  forests  of  the  island  of 
Sumatra,  and  the  peninsula  of  Malacca. 

The  American  Tapir,  seen  on  the  borders  of  rivers, 
hides  itself  during  the  day  in  the  midst  of  the  thickest 
bushes,  and  seeks  its  food,  which  is  entirely  vegetable, 
at  night.  It  has  a  preference  for  water-melons  and 
citrons.  It  goes  but  a  very  small  distance  from  the 
spot  where  it  has  established  its  dwelling.  It  is  a  very 
timid  animal,  and  the  least  noise  frightens  it ;  and  it 
seeks  out  the  most  profound  solitudes. 


THE    TAPIR.  119 

Notwithstanding  tliis  wild  disposition,  it  is  tamed 
wdth  the  greatest  facility — at  least,  if  it  is  taken  young. 
Its  timidity  soon  makes  way  for  the  greatest  fami- 
liarity. *'It  becomes  tame  from  the  first  day,"  says 
d'Azara,  ''and  goes  all  about  the  house  without  leaving 
it.  Every  one  can  touch  it  and  stroke  it — not  that  it 
prefers  one  to  another,  or  obeys  one  more  or  less  than 
another ;  and  if  it  is  wished  to  get  it  out  of  a  place, 
it  becomes  necessary  to  force  it  out.  It  does  not  bite ; 
and  if  it  is  inconvenienced  in  any  way,  it  utters  a 
shrill  kind  of  whistle,  quite  disproportionate  to  its 
size.  It  drinks  like  the  hog,  and  eats  raw  or  cooked 
meat  and  food  of  all  kinds,  and  whatever  comes  in  its 
way — not  excepting  woollen  rags  or  bits  of  silk.  I 
have  seen  it  many  times  gnawing  my  w^alking- stick  ; 
and  on  one  occasion  it  was  doing  the  same  to  a  silver 
snuff-box.  It  seems  to  be  more  gluttonous  than  the 
pig,  and  its  sense  of  taste  does  not  seem  to  enable  it  to 
distinguish  one  thing  from  another." 

A  contemporaneous  observer,  M.  Chabrillac,  does 
not  agree  with  d'Azara  as  to  the  indifference  which, 
according  to  this  latter,  the  tapir  shows  for  the  persons 
amongst  whom  it  lives.  ''  It  loves  the  society  of 
man,"  says  M.  Chabrillac,  ''attaches  itself  to  all 
those  who  show  it  kindness,  and  exhibits  a  special 
predilection  for  children,  whose  spoyts  it  shares  without 
ever  doing  them  the  least  harm." 


120  THE   TAPIR. 

He  gives  a  very  convincing  proof  of  the  attachment 
of  the  tapir: — **I  have  kept  for  two  years  a  tapir 
which  had  been  taken  when  young  on  the  banks  of  the 
Eio  San  Francisco.  He  passed  all  the  time  of  his 
captivity  in  the  court  of  a  college  frequented  by  two 
hundred  scholars,  with  whom  he  played  like  the  most 
intelligent  dog,  without  ever  offending  even  those  who 
sometimes  took  pleasure  in  teasing  him.  When  the 
hour  of  recreation  arrived,  he  would  appear  delighted, 
showing  his  pleasure  by  leaping  and  racing  about.  If 
the  scholars  did  not  seem  to  be  paying  proper  attention 
to  him,  he  would  go  to  excite  and  entice  them  to  come 
and  share  in  his  gambols.  But  when  he  was  too  much 
tormented  by  his  playfellows,  far  from  seeking  to 
defend  himself  by  doing  them  any  injury,  he  would 
run  to  take  refuge  in  a  trough  filled  with  water  for  his 
use,  and  there,  uttering  a  grunt  of  satisfaction,  he 
appeared  to  set  his  persecutors  at  defiance,  whilst  they, 
tiring  of  the  game,  w^ould  leave  him  in  repose,  and 
soon  give  themselves  to  other  sports.  This  interesting 
animal,  which  as  a  rule  ate  nothing  but  green  herbs, 
had  become  accustomed  to  all  kinds  of  nourishment. 
They  gave  him  all  the  debris  of  the  kitchen,  which  he 
ate  without  his  health  appearing  to  suffer  in  the  least 
degree.  He  died  of  a  wound  in  his  leg,  caused  by  a 
fall  upon  a  broken  bottle." 

An  inhabitant  of  Santa-Maria-de-Belene  (Para)  pos- 


THE    TAPIR.  121 

sessecl  a  very  familiar  tapir.  Having  given  him  to 
the  captain  of  one  of  the  Brazilian  coasting  vessels, 
he  took  him  himself  on  board.  But  when  the  tapir 
saw  his  master  depart,  he  began  to  show  signs  of 
disquietude.  At  length,  when  the  steam  was  getting 
up,  the  animal  became  furious,  ran  about  from  one  side 
to  the  other,  and  having  found  a  port-hole  open,  he 
threw  himself  into  the  sea,  swam  towards  the  coast, 
arrived  there  safe  and  sound,  and  went  to  find  his 
master,  who  vowed  he  would  never  part  with  him 
again. 

They  hunt  the  tapir  by  night,  sometimes  with  dogs, 
sometimes  by  lying  in  wait  for  him  in  the  water-melon 
grounds;  but  as  he  has  excellent  sight,  and  a  very 
sensitive  ear,  it  is  not  easy  to  surprise  him. 

If  he  can  reach  deep  water  he  throws  himself  in, 
and  remains  a  long  time  submerged,  and  reappears  at 
a  long  distance  from  the  place  where  he  plunged  in. 
When  there  are  woods  in  the  immediate  proximity,  ho 
throws  himself  into  the  thickest  brakes,  removing  and 
breaking  whatever  comes  in  contact  with  his  head, 
which  he  carries  close  to  the  ground. 

Those  who  hunt  him  with  the  gun,  never  stop  him 
at  once ;  and  d'Azara  relates  having  seen  one  whose 
heart  was  pierced  by  two  balls,  and  which  before  falling 
ran  a  distance  of  two  hundred  yards.  Keduced  to 
extremity,  he  kicks  out  his  le^s  and  seizes  the    dog 


122  THE    TAPIR. 

by  the  back,  and  shakes  them  so  vigorously  that  he 
lacerates  then*  sldn. 

It  sometimes  happens  at  daybreak  that  hunters 
on  horseback  encounter  a  tapir  belated  in  the  open 
country.  The  lasso  soon  stops  him  in  his  course, 
and  his  fate  is  sealed ;  for  although  he  is  much 
swifter  than  at  first  sight  he  seems,  he  cannot  for 
any  length  of  time  compete  in  speed  with  a  horse. 

D'Azara  says  that  the  Indians  of  Paraguay  eat 
the  flesh  of  the  tapir ;  but  he  adds,  that  by  no  means 
proves  that  it  is  delicate;  and  Barren,  in  his  ^'Ilistoire 
Natiirelle  cle  la  France  Equinoxiale,'*  writes,  *^His 
flesh  is  coarse  and  of  a  disagreeable  taste."  \Ye  have 
changed  all  that. 

"  The  flesh  of  the  tapir,"  says  M.  Chabrillac,  ''  is 
much  esteemed  in  the  country  where  I  have  had 
occasion  to  eat  it  very  often,  and  I  can  assert  that 
it  yields  in  nothing,  both  for  savour  and  nutritive 
qualities,  to  the  best  meat  we  have  in  Europe.  When 
smoked,  it  keeps  a  long  time,  and  acquires  a  flavour 
which  would  be  appreciated  by  our  most  delicate 
gourmets,'' 

M.  Victor  Bataillo  writes  from  Guyana  : — "I  have 
often  eaten  the  flesh  of  this  animal.  Without  being 
delicate  and  of  the  first  quality,  it  is  good,  and  has 
nothing  disagreeable  to  the  taste. 

'*It  has  also,  since  1818,  taken  a  very  important 


THE    TAPIR,  123 

place  in  the  food  of  the  colony,  particularly  of  the 
labouring  classes. 

**  Before  1848  they  did  not  hunt  the  tapir  much. 
The  Indians  alone  gave  attention  to  this  sport, 
because  the  Europeans  and  the  slaves  were  occupied 
in  other  works.  Since  the  emancipation  the  hunt 
has  been  taken  up  very  actively  and  with  success, 
not  only  amongst  the  Indians,  but  near  the  city,  in 
the  environs  of  which  the  animal  is  by  no  means 
rare.  I  have  very  frequently  seen  them  killed  at  a 
distance  of  one  or  two  leagues  from  the  city.  .Not 
a  week  passes  in  which  two  or  three  are  not  brought 
in ;  and  these  are  cut  up  and  sold  retail,  like  butcher's 
meat.  The  price  is  from  5d.  to  6d.  per  pound, 
and  its  consumption  is  a  real  advantage  to  the 
colony.*' 

The  pincliaque  tapirs  are  those  of  the  Cordilleras. 
They  inhabit  by  preference  the  cold  regions,  whilst 
the  lower  region  is  frequented  by  the  common  tapir : 
otherwise  their  habits  very  much  resemble  those  of 
the  latter.  In  their  nocturnal  expeditions  they 
ordinarily  go  in  file,  and  thus  form  tracks  across  the 
woods,  of  which  the  hunters  often  avail  themselves, 
and  which  the  Indians  pompously  call  royal  routes. 

These  beaten  paths  are  found  in  regions  between 
1,400  and  4,400  metres  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
TlSi  pinchcifiues  resort  to  lonely  spots,  where  the  soil 


124  THE    TAPIE. 

is  composed  of  a  clayey  kind  of  slate.  This  slate 
clay  bears  the  mark  of  their  teeth. 

D'Azara  also  reports  that  the  common  tapir  eats 
nitrous  earth,  and  says  that  he  has  found  a  great 
quantity  in  the  stomach  of  one  of  these  animals. 

Hunters  are  sure  to  find  the  plnchaques  on  these 
slate-clay  spots  a  little  before  sunrise,  provided  they 
have  not  been  disturbed,  for  they  are  very  suspicious 
animals.  They  will  abandon  entirely  a  place  near 
which  the  country  people  have  laid  snares,  with  all 
precaution  possible,  in  which  they  hope  to  take 
them. 

An  encounter  with  them  is  never  dangerous,  and 
we  have  only  heard  of  three  instances  in  which  they 
have  shown  any  signs  of  courage. 

A  plnchaque  pursued  by  dogs  faced  round  upon 
them  on  reaching  some  water,  and  as  this  menacing 
attitude  intimidated  the  first  hunter  who  presented 
himself,  the  tapir  ran  at  him,  and  threw  him  head 
over  heels. 

The  other  instances  are  reported  of  two  females, 
when  accompanied  by  their  young  ones,  which  they 
thought  to  be  in  danger.  They  each  upset  her  man. 
One  of  these  men  had  taken  the  liberty  of  touching 
the  young  tapir  with  his  umbrella. 

Once  in  the  water,  the  innchaque  remains  there  as 
long  as  he  fancies  that  he  is  pursued* 


THE    TAPIR.  125 

It  is  related  of  one,  that  rather  than  quit  the 
stream,  he  allowed  himself  to  be  killed  with  large 
stones,  which  the  hunter  dropped  on  his  head. 

One  morning  at  eight  o'clock,  at  the  foot  of  the 
Peak  of  Thoma,  on  the  shore  of  the  Combaymee,  in 
a  place  situated  at  1,918  metres  above  the  sea-level, 
and  called  las  Juntas,  M.  Goudot  started  up  a  young 
female  pincJiaqiie,  which  threw  itself  immediately  into 
the  water.  Surrounded  by  dogs,  which  for  the  most 
part  kept  to  the  shore,  the  animal  remained  for  a 
long  time  motionless  in  the  midst  of  the  torrent, 
confining  itself  to  lifting  its  trunk  now  and  then 
above  the  water,  and  uttering  cries  which  the 
noise  of  the  stream  and  the  barking  of  the  dogs 
almost  drowned.  The  dogs,  which,  in  order  to  reach 
it,  had  plunged  into  the  water  above  the  place  where 
the  jpinchaque  was,  were  for  the  most  part  submerged, 
but  they  were  not  otherwise  hurt.  The  innchaque 
came  to  the  top  of  the  water  with  the  greatest 
facility.  A  ball  passed  through  its  aorta,  near  the 
heart.  After  this  mortal  blow,  it  had  sufficient 
strength  to  cross  the  stream. 

The  flesh  of  this  animal  is  red,  like  that  of  the 
bear,  and  is  excellent  eating. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
I. 

Sparrman,  accompanied  by  some  farmers  and  Hot- 
tentots, had  gone  for  the  second  time  to  hunt  the 
hippopotamus :  his  first  attempt  had  proved  unsuccess- 
ful. This  new  enterprise  took  place  in  the  night,  and 
the  method  adopted  was  that  of  lying  in  ambush. 

Our  adventurers  were  divided,  in  order  to  multiply 
the  chances  of  an  encounter.  Sparrman,  accompanied 
by  two  colonists,  father  and  son,  was  posted  on  a  dry 
portion  of  the  bed  of  a  river  inhabited  by  hippopotami. 
A  European,  and  the  son-in-law  of  one  of  the  colo- 
nists, occupied  a  second  post,  and  the  natives  a  third. 
Sparrman  and  his  two  companions  had  behind  them 
the  banks  of  the  water-course,  which  at  that  spot  were 
very  high.  The  ground  was  level,  and  the  night 
sufficiently  bright.  Moreover,  they  were  on  the  path 
made  by  the  hijDpopotami.  All  the  chances  were 
therefore  in  favour  of  the  hunters.  They  sat  down 
and  waited.     Sparrman,  tormented  by  mosg^uitoeS;  had 


THE    HIPPOPOTAMUS.  127 

covered  his  face  with  his  pocket-handkerchief,  and,  half 
asleep,  was  philosophising  on  the  boldness  of  three 
frail  individuals  awaiting  "the  behemoth  of  the 
prophet  Job,"  and  on  the  impudence  of  the  insects 
which  were  attacking  such  heroes. 

Suddenly,  a  hippopotamus  came  out  of  the  river 
with  the  swiftness  of  an  arrow,  and  dashed  into  the 
path,  uttering  a  horrible  cry.  ^' Hcer  Jesus  f  cries 
the  farmer,  firing  off  his  gun ;  at  the  roar  of  the 
beast  the  European  and  the  colonist's  son-in-law  fled. 
Sparrman  himself  had  not  heard  the  shot,  nor  had  he 
seen  the  beast, — or  rather,  in  the  darkness  he  mistook 
him  for  a  waterspout,  caused  by  a  sudden  overflow  of 
the  river.  He  threw  down  his  gun,  abandoned  his 
two  companions,  and  rushed  desperately  to  a  point  high 
enough  to  escape  the  water,  knocking  himself  uselessly 
against  the  bluff  bank  of  the  river.  Astonished  that  he 
was  not  submerged,  he  asked  himself  if  it  was  not  all  a 
dream?  He  ran  to  the  farmer's  son,  whom  he  found 
asleep  with  his  fists  closed,  and  snoring  lustily,  and 
then  to  the  father,  who,  entangled  in  a  blanket  with 
which  he  had  enveloped  his  limbs,  was  tremblingly  en- 
deavouring to  disengage  himself.  "What  direction  has 
the  flood  taken?"  asked  Sparrman.  He  stood  speechless 
for  a  short  time.  "Are  you  become  a  fool  ?•"  he  said  at 
last.  Sparrman  retorted.  In  fact  he  was  not  con- 
vinced of  his  error  until  he  saw  that  the  farmer's  gun 


128  THE    HIPPOPOTAMUS. 

was  discharged.  Happily,  the  shot — the  flash  rather 
than  the  hall — had  caused  the  animal  to  turn  round  and 
plunge  into  the  water  as  precipitately  as  he  had  come 
out  of  it.  Here  the  hunt  finished.  Our  Nimrods 
passed  the  rest  of  the  night  in  laughing  at  each  other, 
and  smoked  their  pipes  whilst  listening  to  the  roaring 
of  the  lions. 

This  is  all  ridiculous  enough ;  but  at  all  events  one 
sees  here  pictured  with  naivete  the  impressions  of  a 
novice  who  for  the  first  time  found  himself  in  the 
presence  of  a  hippopotamus. 


II. 

An  encounter  with  him  on  land  is  not  without  peril. 
An  instance  is  related  of  a  hippopotamus  which  pur- 
sued a  native  for  a  long  time,  who  escaped  from  him 
with  the  greatest  difficulty.  But  it  is  only  in  cer- 
tain critical  moments,  when  beasts  ordinarily  timid 
become  dangerous,  that  the  hippopotamus,  unprovoked, 
shows  any  aggressive  disposition ;  it  is  otherwise 
when  he  has  been  provoked  and  wounded, — ^then  he 
charges  upon  the  hunter  with  all  his  force.  Where, 
however,  the  species  has  been  subjected  to  a  long  and 
active  persecution,  they  lose  all  self-confidence ;  this 
is  always  the  case  where  firearms  are  generally  used. 
In  a  locality  where  the  introduction  of  firearms  was 


THE   HIPPOPOTAMUS.  129 

still  recent,  a  native  fired  on  a  hippopotamus,  which 
he  missed,  when  the  latter  seized  him  in  his  jaws 
and  literally  cut  him  in  two.  There  is  less  exposure 
to  unpleasantness  of  this  kind  when  the  animal  is 
attacked  from  behind,  seeing  that  he  is  so  very  slow  in 
turning  round ;  and  the  negroes  usually  avail  them- 
selves of  this  circumstance. 


in. 

Hippopotami  live  partly  in  the  water  and  partly  on 
land.  They  are  only  found  in  Africa,  in  the  Nile  and 
in  most  of  the  rivers  which  empty  into  the  Atlantic 
and  Indian  Oceans.  They  abound  chiefly  south  of  the 
equator  and  in  the  interior  of  Africa.  They  live  in 
herds  during  the  day,  in  water,  where  they  sleep  and 
yawn,  elevating  their  muzzles  from  time  to  time  above 
the  water ;  at  night  they  come  on  land  to  feed,  taking 
always  the  same  path  in  going  and  coming.  In  walk- 
ing their  legs  are  so  short  and  their  paunch  so  volu- 
minous, that  it  almost  sweeps  the  ground.  The  water 
is  their  true  home.  They  are  seen  descending  to  the 
bottom,  walking  and  even  running  on  the  mud,  rooting 
up  the  long  grasses  with  their  hooked  teeth.  Salt,  in 
Abyssinia,  saw  them  walking  at  the  bottom  of  the  Ta- 
cage,  at  a  depth  of  twenty  feet.  Ere  long  they  ascend 
to  the  surface,  raise  their  heads  out  of  the  water,  and 


130  THE   HIPPOPOTAMUS, 

respire  obstreperously,  spouting  from  their  nostrils  a 
column  of  water  to  the  height  of  five  feet ;  but  they 
only  do  this  in  localities  where  they  have  not  been 
disturbed — on  the  Zambesi,  for  example.  Elsewhere, 
and  particularly  in  the  rivers  of  Londa,  where  active 
warfare  has  taught  them  prudence,  they  only  bring 
their  nostrils  to  the  air,  and  breathe  so  gently  that 
their  presence  would  not  be  suspected  were  it  not  be- 
trayed by  their  footmarks  on  the  shore.  The  females, 
when  they  have  little  ones  very  young,  come  more  fre- 
quently to  the  surface  than  others,  because  their  nurs- 
lings cannot  remain  under  the  water  so  long  a  time  as 
adults.  These  little  ones  cling  at  first  to  the  neck  of 
their  mother,  then  on  her  back,  and  soon  they  follow 
her  to  the  pasturage. 


IV. 

One  morning  Sparrman  saw  a  female  with  her  calf 
advancing  towards  him  on  land ;  the  calf  was  lame, 
and  was  walking  slowly.  The  mother  received  a  ball 
in  her  side,  and  threw  herself  into  the  water.  The 
young  one  was  taken  and  secured ;  he  made  a  great 
noise,  somewhat  like  a  pig  when  he  is  being  killed. 
The  hunters  were  very  fearful  that  at  these  cries  the 
mother  would  come  out  of  the  river,  as  had  happened 
to  Le  Vaillant,  who  had  shot  a  young  hippopotamus 


THE   HIPPOPOTAMUS.  131 

and  broken  its  thigh.  **But  we  had  scarcely  reached 
it/*  he  writes,  *'  than  at  a  few  yards  distance,  on  the 
river  bank,  the  mother  showed  herself,  and  with  fear- 
ful roars  ran  towards  us,  her  terrible  jaws  wide  open. 
This  sudden  and  unexpected  apparition  so  terrified  us, 
that  we  thought  of  nothing  but  flying  as  quickly  as 
possible;  and  to  prevent  any  impediment  to  our  speed 
we  even  threw  down  our  rifles.  For  my  part,  I  did 
not  hesitate  a  moment  in  doing  so  with  mine,  which, 
being  discharged,  was  useless.  The  mother,  having 
recovered  her  young  one,  did  not  attempt  to  follow  us, 
but  returned  with  it  peaceably  into  the  water;  and 
her  retreat  permitted  us  to  go  and  pick  up  our  guns." 
Eeturning  to  Sparrman  and  his  captive:  this  calf 
was  three  feet  six  inches  long  and  two  feet  high.  Ac- 
cording to  the  conjectures  of  the  Hottentots,  it  could 
not  be  more  than  two  or  three  weeks  old.  It  soon 
showed  signs  of  a  disposition  to  sociability;  but  the 
Hottentots,  who  have  a  special  liking  for  its  flesh — 
which,  in  fact,  is  agreeable  and  wholesome,  and  very 
like  beef — did  not  give  him  time  to  become  perfectly 
tame. 


V. 

The  lameness  of  the  young  hippopotamus  mentioned 
above  leads  us  to  say,  that  it  is  very  common  to  find 

K  2 


132  THE   HIPPOPOTAMUS. 

amongst  the  animals  of  this  species  individuals  bearing 
the  traces  of  considerable  wounds.  It  frequently  hap- 
pens, indeed,  that  they  fight  furiously.  A  traveller  was 
witness  to  a  duel  between  two  males,  which  he  records 
thus : — 

'^It  was  broad  day;  and,  hidden  on  the  river  bank, 
I  had  been  watching  for  some  time  the  gambols  of 
a  herd  of  these  animals,  when  all  of  a  sudden  two  of 
the  largest  rose  to  the  surface,  and  rushed  at  each 
other.  Their  great  and  hideous  jaws  were  extended 
wide  open,  their  eyes  flaming  with  rage,  each  one 
seeming  bent  on  the  destruction  of  his  enemy.  They 
seized  each  other  with  their  jaws;  they  stabbed  and 
punched  with  their  strong  tusks — by  turns  advancing 
and  retreating,  now  at  the  top  of  the  water  and  some- 
times at  the  bottom  of  the  river.  The  waves  were 
stained  with  their  blood,  and  their  furious  roars  were 
frightful  to  listen  to.  They  showed  very  little  tact  in 
their  movements,  but  on  the  other  hand  they  exhibited 
piggish  obstinacy  in  maintaining  their  ground,  and 
frightful  savageness  in  their  demeanour.  The  combat 
lasted  for  an  hour.  Evidently  they  were  mutually  ope- 
rating upon  armour  too  hard  to  admit  of  their  wounds 
being  very  dangerous.  At  last  one  of  them  turned  his 
back  on  his  enemy  and  went  away,  leaving  the  other 
victorious  and  master  of  the  field  of  battle." 


THE    HIPPOPOTAMUS.  133 

VI. 

NoTWiTHSTxiNDiNO  the  abundance  of  hippopotami  in 
certain  water-courses,  instances  of  aggression  on  their 
part  are  very  rare. 

Mr.  Moffat,  whilst  crossing  a  river,  was  pursued  by  a 
furious  hippopotamus,  snorting  terribly.  It  may  be 
said,  in  passing,  that  the  snorting  of  males  can  be 
heard  at  a  distance  of  a  mile.  Our  traveller  escaped 
with  very  great  difficulty,  and  if  he  had  been  an  instant 
longer  in  reaching  the  bank,  he  would  have  been  a  dead 
man. 

Ordinarily  canoes  circulate  in  the  midst  of  them 
without  being  disturbed.  A  European  was  sailing  on 
a  river,  amongst  a  number  of  hippopotami.  The 
canoe  passed  over  one  of  them.  The  animal  moved 
away,  uttering  a  significant  growl. 

A  short  time  ago  we  read  the  following,  in  the 
recent  correspondence  of  a  traveller  in  Egypt : — 

'^We  remarked  on  the  ground  numerous  traces  of 
the  steps  of  hippopotami.  It  was  evident  that  we 
were  in  a  part  much  frequented  by  them.  We  soon 
noticed  on  the  river  a  kind  of  black  floating  island  ; 
it  was  the  back  of  an  immense  hippopotamus.  Wo 
afterwards  saw  a  second  and  less  voluminous  one. 
Our  boats  were  now  approaching,  and  when  they 
passed  near  the  two  backs,  the  sailors  shouted  in  a 


134  THE    HIPPOPOTAMUS. 

peculiar  manner,  and  we  saw  the  hippopotamus  first 
plunge,  and  then  make  a  sudden  spring  almost  out 
of  the  water,  exhibiting  the  body,  even  to  the  hind 
legs.  They  explained  to  us  that  this  was  a  family  of 
hippopotami,  which  was  taking  its  promenade  in  the 
river,  and  that  the  mother,  believing  her  young  ones 
were  attacked  by  the  boats,  had  thus  elevated  herself 
above  the  water  to  see  her  enemies,  and  if  needful  to 
defend  herself.'* 

Here  is  another  picture,  taken  from  the  banks  of 
the  Kafoue,  which  is  rich  in  hippopotami : — 

'*In  the  ignorance  of  firearms  in  which  they  live, 
these  hippopotami  are  so  little  timid  that  they  pay 
not  the  least  attention  to  us ;  the  young  ones,  not 
much  larger  than  turnspits,  and  mounted  on  their 
mothers'  necks,  look  at  us  between  their  ears,  and  do 
not  appear  in  the  least  disturbed  by  our  presence." 

This  is  the  case  most  frequently ;  here,  however,  is 
a  slight  variation  : — 

'*  About  mid-day  a  hippopotamus  struck  against 
the  front  of  our  canoe,  and  almost  capsized  it.  The 
force  of  the  blow  precipitated  Mashaouana  into  the 
river;  the  rest,  of  whom  I  was  one,  made  for  the 
shore,  which  was  about  fifteen  yards  off.  The  hippo- 
potamus remained  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  looking 
curiously  at  the  canoe,  as  if  forming  an  estimate  of 
the   amount   of    damage   she   had   done.      It   was   a 


THE    HIPPOPOTAMUS.  186 

female  whose  young  one  had  been  killed  the  evening 
before  with  a  javelin.  We  were  eight  in  the  canoe, 
and  the  violence  of  the  shock  which  she  had  given  us 
was  ample  proof  to  each  of  us  of  the  enormous 
strength  of  the  animal  which  had  produced  it.  Except 
Mashaouana's  ducking,  and  the  bath  which  all  had 
to  take,  no  other  damage  was  done  by  the  accident. 
It  is  such  a  rare  thing  to  be  attacked  by  one  of  these 
animals,  when  the  precaution  is  taken  of  sailing  near 
the  shore,  that  my  companions  cried  spontaneously, 
'  The  beast  is  mad  ! '  " 

Here  is  another,  and  still  more  marked  instance. 
M.  Knoblecher,  head  of  the  Austrian  Catholic  Mission 
on  the  White  Kiver,  reports,  that  in  one  of  his  voyages 
his  boat  separated  a  female  hippopotamus  from  hei 
young  ones.  The  mother  in  a  fury  rose  above  the 
water,  just  at  the  same  moment  that  M.  Knoblecher' s 
cook  was  leaning  the  upper  part  of  his  body  over  the 
side:  the  poor  fellow  was  seized,  and  disappeared 
under  the  waves,  carried  away  by  the  enormous  beast. 

It  is  not  the  less  true  that  the  principal  danger 
incurred  by  travellers  is  not  to  be  imputed  to  intention 
on  the  part  of  the  hippopotamus. 

The  most  frequent  risk  is  that  of  being  capsized 
by  the  pressure  of  an  animal,  in  rising  from  tho 
bottom  to  the  surface  without  crying  "  Look  out ;''  still 
it  most  frequently  happens  that  the  sailors  come  off 


136  THE    HIPPOPOTAMUS. 

at  worst  with  a  ducking.  Sometirhes,  nevertheless, 
the  pachydermatous  brute  returns  in  a  fury,  and 
destroys  the  capsized  boat. 


VII. 

We  have  said  that  in  its  nocturnal  movements  the 
hippopotamus  constantly  follows  the  same  path.  The 
hunters  profit  by  the  custom,  and  this  is  the  way  they 
take  them  m  the  Soudan  :— 

Two  of  the  party  stand  near  the  path,  in  the  most 
likely  spot ;  they  are  armed  with  lances,  with  a  hook 
at  the  end  like  a  fish  hook,  to  which  is  attached  a  cord 
eight  or  ten  yards  long,  at  the  other  end  of  which  is 
a  wooden  float ;  others  go  in  front  of  the  animal  where 
he  feeds.  They  frighten  him  by  shouting,  beating 
drums,  and  brandishing  lighted  torches.  The  alarmed 
hippopotamus  returns  to  the  river,  and  the  nearest 
hunter  throws  his  barbed  javelin  into  his  flanks.  The 
wounded  animal  carries  the  dart  into  the  water,  and 
the  very  rapidity  with  which  he  flies  contributes  to 
increase  his  wound  by  the  resistance  of  the  float. 

This  piece  of  wood,  which  floats  on  the  surface,  also 
enables  the  hunter  to  watch  the  evolutions  which  the 
amphibious  animal  performs  under  the  water.  Never- 
theless, it  sometimes  happens  that  it  is  difficult  to 
follow  it  in  the  night-time.     To  overcome  this  incon- 


THE   HIPPOPOTAMUS.  137 

venience  as  much  as  possible,  the  hunters  divide 
themselves  into  several  groups,  and  if  they  lose  the 
animal  during  the  night,  they  easily  find  him  in  the 
daytime.  The  hippopotamus,  exhausted  by  his 
struggles,  by  loss  of  blood,  and  want  of  food,  soon 
comes  to  die  near  the  shore,  unless  the  hunters  in 
their  boats  have  in  the  meantime  killed  him  with  the 
lance;  but  it  sometimes  happens  that  he  drags  a 
float  for  many  days,  especially  when  the  harpoon  has 
been  badly  planted.  M.  Tremaux  one  day  encoun- 
tered a  hippopotamus  thus  pierced. 

• '  Whilst  we  were  still  being  towed  by  the  people 
of  Lony,  I  heard  a  shout,  *  The  hippopotamus !  the 
hippopotamus !  '  I  surveyed  the  liquid  surface,  ex- 
pecting to  see  the  monstrous  head  and  back  of  the 
animal;  and  I  was  astonished  not  to  see  anything. 
I  observed  on  the  water  a  kind  of  Greek  cross, 
formed  by  two  short  pieces  of  wood  strongly  fixed 
and  bound  together  in  the  centre.  This  cross  was 
cutting  through  the  water,  and  floating  swiftly  down 
the  stream,  making  the  water  foam,  as  if  moved  by 
some  invisible  power.  As  it  neared  us  the  float  ap- 
peared to  be  agitated  in  an  extraordinary  degree,  and 
at  the  same  time  a  formidable  snorting,  mingled 
with  the  noise  of  the  rippling  water,  was  heard  close 
to  the  boat.  We  perceived  a  hippopotamus,  which, 
frightened  by  the  boat,   near  which  he  unexpectedly 


138  THE   HIPPOPOTAMUS. 

found  himself,  gave  a  great  spring  half  out  of  the 
water,  and  then  plunged  in  again,  dragging  the  float 
with  great  fury. 

"  A  short  time  afterwards  some  men  hailed  us 
from  the  shore,  inquiring  if  we  had  seen  the  hunted 
water  ox." 

In  Abyssinia  they  hunt  the  hippopotamus  with 
guns.  Salt  gives  an  account  of  one  of  these  hunts, 
which  was  not  a  very  successful  one. 

'^  Placed  on  an  elevated  and  prominent  rock,  we 
were  not  long  in  perceiving,  at  a  distance  of  about 
sixty  feet,  a  hippopotamus,  which,  without  any  signs 
of  fear,  exhibited  his  enormous  head  above  the  water, 
and  sniffing  violently  somewhat  in  the  manner  of  a 
porpoise.  Three  of  us  fired  at  him,  and  he  was 
thought  to  be  struck  in  front ;  he  looked  up,  groaning 
and  roaring  angrily,  and  immediately  plunged.  We 
expected  to  see  his  body  floating  on  the  surface  of  the 
water,  but  he  reappeared  at  the  same  place  more 
cautiously,  and  without  appearing  to  be  at  all  dis- 
concerted by  what  had  already  happened  to  him. 

''We  fired  again,  with  no  more  success  than  at 
first.  We  continuod  to  fire  on  many  other  animals^ 
but  I  am  not  certain  that  any  one  of  them  was  wounded. 
Our  leaden  balls  were  too  soft  to  penetrate  the  skulls 
of  these  great  animals — they  continually  rebounded. 
Nevertheless,  towards  evening  they  became  more  cir- 


THE    HIPPOPOTAMUS.  139 

cumspect ;  they  confined  themselves  to  merely  exposing 
their  nostrils  above  the  water,  spouting  it  into  the  air 
by  the  force  of  their  breathing." 

The  most  common  mofe  of  hunting  in  South 
Africa  is  also  with  the  rifle.  In  the  regions  visited 
by  Le  Vaillant,  Sparrman,  and  Livingstone,  they 
also  dig  pits  in  the  paths  followed  by  the  animal. 
M.  du  Chaillu  tells  us,  on  the  contrary,  that  the 
employment  of  this  trap  is  unknown  on  the  Gaboon. 

He  thus  relates  one  of  his  hunts : — 

*^  There  was  here  a  place  in  the  river  shallow 
enough  for  them  to  stand  in  and  play  around;  and 
here  they  remained  all  day,  playing  in  the  deep 
w^ater  or  diving,  but  for  the  most  part  standing  on 
the  shallow,  with  only  their  ugly  noses  pointed  out 
of  the  water,  and  looking  for  all  the  world  exactly 
like  so  many  old  weatherbeaten  logs  stranded  on 
a  sand-bar.  We  approached  slowly  and  with  caution 
to  within  thirty  yards  of  the  school,  without  seeming 
to  attract  the  slightest  attention  from  the  sluggish 
animals :  stopping  there,  I  fired  five  shots,  and,  so 
far  as  I  could  see,  killed  three  hippopotami.  The 
ear  is  one  of  the  most  vulnerable  spots,  and  this 
was  my  mark  every  time.  The  first  shot  was 
received  with  but  little  attention,  but  the  struggles 
of  the  dying  animal,  which  turned  over  several  times 
and  finally  sank  to  the  bottom,  seemed  to  rouse  the 
herd,  who  began  to  plunge  about  and  dive  downnnto 


140  THE  HIPPOPOTAMUS. 

deep  water.  The  blood  of  my  victims  discoloured 
the  water  all  round,  and  we  could  not  see  whether 
those  which  escaped  were  not  swimming  for  us. 

**  Presently  the  boat  received  a  violent  jar,  and  look- 
ing overboard,  we  perceived  that  we  were  in  the  midst  of 
the  herd.  They  did  not,  however,  attack  us,  but  were 
rather,  I  imagine,  anxious  to  get  away.  We,  too,  pulled 
out  of  the  way  as  fast  as  we  could,  as  I  was  not  anxious 
to  be  capsized.  Of  the  dead  animals  wo  recovered  but 
one,  which  was  found  two  days  after  on  a  little  island 
on  the  river's  mouth.  I  think  it  likely  that  the  negroes 
secretly  ate  up  the  others  as  they  washed  ashore,  fear- 
ing to  tell  me  lest  I  should  claim  the  prizes. 

''  I  afterwards  determined  to  go  on  a  night  hunt  after 
hippopotami.  We  lay  down  under  shelter  of  a  bush 
and  watched.  As  yet  none  of  the  animals  had  come 
out  of  the  water.  We  could  hear  them  snorting  and 
plashing  in  the  distance,  the  subdued  snort-like  roars 
breaking  in  upon  the  still  night  in  a  very  odd  way. 
The  moon  was  nearly  down,  and  the  watch  was  getting 
tedious,  when  I  was  startled  by  a  sudden  groan,  and 
peering  into  the  half-light,  saw  dimly  a  huge  animal 
looking  doubly  monstrous  in  the  uncertain  light.  It 
was  quietly  eating  grass,  which  it  seemed  to  nibble  off 
quite  close. 

''  Igala  and  I  both  took  aim;  he  fired,  and  without 
waiting  to  see  the  result  ran  away  as  swiftly  as  a  good 
pair  of  legs  could  carry  him.     I  was  not  quite  ready, 


THE   HIPPOPOTAMUS.  141 

but  fired  the  moment  after  liim ;  and  before  I  could  get 
ready  to  run,  in  which  I  had  not  Igala's  practice,  I  saw 
there  was  no  need  to  do  so ;  the  beast  tottered  for  a 
moment,  and  then  fell  over  dead." 

These  results  are  very  different  from  the  ineftective 
shots  of  Sparrman. 

Le  Vaillant,  met  with  success  equal  to  that  of  M.  du 
Chaillu.  An  old  Namaquois  spoke  to  hina  one  day  of 
the  trouble  he  was  in. 

"He  was  only  a  short  distance  from  the  river. 
Hippopotami  swarmed  there ;  his  companions  and  he 
had  wished  to  take  some  from  time  to  time  for  their 
food ;  but  although  they  had  dug  pits  and  laid  traps 
along  the  shore,  they  had  only  succeeded  in  taking 
three  animals  during  the  two  years  they  had  dwelt 
in  the  canton. 

"  The  animals,  he  said,  w^ere  too  sharp  for  them ; 
and  he  did  not  doubt  but  that,  with  my  guns,  the  effect 
of  which  he  had  heard,  I  might  kill  as  many  as  I 
pleased. 

*'My  plan  was  to  start  in  the  afternoon  of  the 
same  day,  to  pass  the  night  near  the  river,  and  to 
begin  the  hunt  on  the  following  day  at  dawn,  I  took 
vvdth  me  all  my  hunters.  A  detachment  of  the  horde 
followed  me,  with  some  baggage  oxen  to  carry  the 
produce  of  our  sport ;  and  at  day  break  we  were  all  in 
active  motion. 

"  One  half  of  the  troop  crossed  the  river  by  swim- 


142  THE   HIPPOPOTAMUS. 

ming,  whilst  the  other  half  remained  on  my  side 
When  the  swimmers  reached  the  other  shore  they 
separated  into  two  bands,  one  of  which  went  up  the 
river,  at  a  short  distance  from  it,  and  the  other 
descended.  The  same  was  done  on  my  side.  The 
four  bands  thus  embraced  three-fourths  of  the  river 
space ;  I  alone  remained  in  my  place  in  the  centre  of 
the  hunters..  At  a  given  signal  all  had  orders  to  leave 
their  posts  slowly  and  to  come  towards  me,  some 
shouting  as  loud  as  they  could,  others  firing  their  guns 
at  intervals,  in  order  to  drive  up  any  hippopotami 
that  might  be  found  in  that  space  of  the  river  to 
within  range  of  my  gun.  They  encountered  eight,  and 
all  the  bands  of  hunters  being  reunited  in  one  common 
centre,  nothing  further  was  wanted  but  patience  and 
dexterity. 

"  In  a  short  time  we  wounded  several  of  them.  Two 
were  already  dead,  and  the  people  of  the  horde  were 
transported  with  joy.  But  some  amongst  them  having 
swum  out  in  order  to  bring  to  land  the  two  dead 
beasts,  one  of  the  swimmers  received  from  a  wounded 
hippopotamus  a  blow  with  his  snout,  and  another  had 
his  thigh  ripped  open  by  his  tusk.  This  double  acci- 
dent made  me  fearful  of  something  worse  happening. 
I  recalled  my  people,  and,  to  the  great  regret  of  the 
Namaquois,  I  terminated  a  hunt  which  all  said  ought 
to  have  been  more  successful,  but  which  could  not  be 
continued  without  very  great  peril." 


CHAPTEll  X. 

One  traveller  says  that  the  sight  of  a  rhinoceros  is 
sufficient  to  put  a  lion  to  flight.  Another,  without  con- 
tradicting the  first,  says  that  the  rhinoceros  makes  the 
lion  fly  like  a  cat ;  and  a  third  writes, — "  He  kills  even 
the  elephant,  by  tearing  open  his  belly  with  his  tusk." 
A  fourth  says, — *'  Men  are  the  only  enemies  whom 
he  fears,  and  this  fear  ceases  when  he  is  wounded  or 
pursued." 

Listen  again  to  another  one : — '*  He  is  at  once  a 
traitor  and  an  aggressor  whom  nothing  frightens,  and 
a  furious  brute  whom  all  resistance  only  renders  the 
more  implacable."  This  animal  inhabits  both  Asia 
and  Africa. 

There  are  always  degrees  of  character,  and  thus  it 
appears  that  the  white  rhinoceros  is  relatively  gentle 
and  confiding.  This  mildness,  however,  must  not  be 
exaggerated.  A  white  rhinoceros,  having  been 
wounded  by  Mr.  Oswell,  threw  both  horse  and  rider 
into  the  air  with  one  blow  of  its  tusk. 


144  THE   RHINOCEROS. 

What  might  one  expect  after  that  from  the  polite- 
ness of  the  black  rhinoceros  ? 

Dr.  Livingstone  writes  : — **  Mr.  Osvv^ell  was  once 
stalking  two  of  these  animals,  and  as  they  came 
slowly  to  him,  he,  knowing  that  there  is  but  little 
chance  of  hitting  the  srrtall  brain  of  this  animal  by  a 
shot  in  the  head,  lay,  expecting  one  of  them  to  give 
his  shoulder,  till  he  was  within  a  few  yards. 

"  The  hunter  then  thought  that  by  making  a  rush  to 
his  side  he  might  succeed  in  escaping ;  but  the  rhino- 
ceros, too  quick  for  that,  turned  upon  him,  and,  though 
he  discharged  his  gun  close  to  the  animal's  head,  he 
was  tossed  in  the  air.  My  friend  was  insensible  for 
some  time,  and  on  recovering  found  large  wounds  on 
the  thigh  and  body.  I  saw  that  on  the  former  part 
still  open,  and  five  inches  long." 

Mr.  Moffat  having  brought  down  a  black  rhinoceros, 
the  natives  threw  themselves  on  the  beast,  shouting 
with  joy ;  twelve  lances  at  once  penetrated  the  sides  of 
the  victim.  The  punctures  reanimated  him;  he  sprang 
up  in  an  instant,  and,  tearing  up  the  earth  with  his 
horn  after  his  fashion,  rushed  upon  his  conquerors, 
who  promptly  showed  him  their  heels. 

The  rhinoceros  is,  after  the  elephant,  the  largest 
mammiferous  animal  known  on  the  earth.  The  name 
is  derived  from  two  Greek  words,  which  might  be  trans- 
lated liorn  on  the  nose»     It  is  well  known,  in  fact,  that 


THE   RHINOCEROS.  145 

the  frontal  nasal  region  is  surmountecl,  in  adults,  with 
one  or  two  horns,  according  to  the  species. 

They  live  on  vegetables,  and  their  dental  system  is 
perfectly  suited  to  this  kind  of  food.  Their  neck  is  so 
short,  and  so  little  flexible,  that  they  are  much  less 
fond  of  grass  than  of  browsing  the  leaves  of  branches 
within  their  reach,  which  their  very  mobile  and 
triangular  pointed  upper  lip  easily  seizes  According 
to  Chardin,  the  Abyssinians  tame  the  rhinoceros,  and 
make  him  work  like  an  ox. 

It  rarely  happens  that  more  than  four  or  five  are 
met  with  at  once,  and  it  is  pretty  well  to  encounter 
one.  They  are  hunted  on  account  of  their  flesh,  which 
is  considered  a  great  treat  by  the  savages. 

In  Nubia  they  hunt  him  on  horeseback,  the  men 
being  entirely  naked. 

They  throw  themselv^es  on  him,  and  irritate  without 
being  able  to  wound  him. 

In  spite  of  their  dexterity  and  the  agility  of  their 
horses  they  do  not  always  escape  the  blows  of  their 
formidable  enemy.  The  infuriated  animal  pursues  his 
assailants.  Then  one  of  them  detaches  himself  from 
his  companions,  and  pretends  to  wait  for  him.  The 
rhinoceros  turns  his  rage  on  this  one,  and  abandons 
the  other  hunters,  who,  moving  off  rapidly,  seek  a 
favourable  place  near  somo  Large  tree,  chosen  before- 
hand. 

L 


146  THE   RHINOCEROS. 

V/lien  the  horseman  who  had  remained  behind, 
engaged  with  the  animal,  supposes  that  his  comrades 
have  attained  their  retreat,  he  starts  off  like  a  dart, 
reaches  the  foot  of  the  tree  indicated,  leaps  from  his 
horse,  which  gallops  off,  and  climbs  swiftly  up  the 
branches. 

The  rhinoceros,  which  has  followed  him,  dashes 
furiously  against  the  tree,  as  if  he  meant  to  upset 
it,  and  strikes  his  horn  deeply  into  it.  But  whilst  he 
is  making  unheard  of  efforts  to  disengage  himself,  the 
hunters  in  ambush  fall  on  him  and  kill  him  with  their 
lances.  As  to  the  horse,  he  stands  still  when  he  finds 
that  he  is  no  longer  pursued,  and,  attracted  by  the 
neighing  of  his  companions,  he  is  not  slow  in  rejoining 
them. 

The  rhinoceros,  when  attacked,  takes  voluntarily, 
as  we  have  seen,  a  tree  for  v.  hunter,  and  discharges, 
his  rage  on  the  former.  Livingstone  attributes  this 
blundering  to  the  fact  of  the  horn  being  so  placed 
as  to  obstruct  the  line  of  vision;  and  he  gives  as  a 
proof  that  the  variety  named  Kua-haobo,  having  the 
horn  projecting  downwards,  and  therefore  not  inter- 
fering with  the  sight,  was  able  to  be  much  more 
w^ary  than  its  neighbours.  Be  this  as  it  may,  the 
eye  at  all  events  is  very  small,  and  sunk  in  the 
head.  On  the  other  hand,  the  senses  of  hearing 
and    smell   are   very  subtle;    at  the   least   noise   the 


THE    RHINOCEROS.  147 

animal  takes  alarm,  pricks  its  ears,  rises  up,  and 
listens,  that  is,  if  lie  is  not  asleep,  for  his  sleep 
is  very  heavy. 

This  has  been  contradicted,  but  Sparrman  relates 
as  follows : — '^  Two  of  our  Hottentot  marksmen  per- 
ceived through  the  bushes,  at  a  distance  of  three  or  four 
yards,  a  rhinoceros,  lying  on  his  right  side,  and 
sleeping  so  profoundly,  that  he  did  not  wake  up 
even  at  the  loud  noise  which  they  made  by  chance 
in  striking  the  guns  one  against  the  other.  Their 
first  movement  was  to  take  aim  at  him;  but  as 
he  did  not  awake,  and  as  they  could  only  see  the 
back  part  of  his  body,  after  a  short  consultation 
they  made  a  circuit,  and  placing  themselves  in  a 
position  to  point  their  guns  towards  the  animal's 
head,  they  discharged  their  two  barrels  at  once  into 
his  brisket., 

"  As  the  animal  struggled  somewhat  feebly,  they  had 
little  fear  that  he  would  as  yet  wake  up  and  pursue 
them;  then,  as  much  for  their  amusement  as  pre- 
caution, they  recharged  their  guns  and  fired  several 
balls  into  him." 

Le  Vaillant  says  that  two  rhinoceroses  had  stopped 
side  by  side  in  a  plain  at  a  little  distance  from  his 
camp ;  he  started  at  once,  accompanied  by  his  men. 

"  One  of  the  two  being  much  larger  than  the 
other,  I  took  them  to  be  male  and  female. 

L  2 


148  TPIE   RHINOCEIIOS. 

**  They  were  holding  their  noses  to  the  wind,  and 
consequently  presented  their  croups  to  us. 

*^It  is  a  habit  of  these  quadrupeds,  when  thus 
stopping,  to  place  themselves  to  windward,  in  order 
to  be  warned  by  scent  of  any  enemies  they  have  to 
fear.  Occasionally,  they  turn  the  head  to  cast  a 
glance  behind,  to  watch  for  their  safety,  but  it  is 
simply  a  glance,   and  the  affair  of   an  instant. 

*'We  were  discussing  the  disposition  to  be  made 
for  the  attack,  when  Jonker,  one  of  my  Hottentots, 
begged  me  to  allow  him  to  attack  the  beasts  alone, 
I  permitted  him  to  do  so.  He  stripped  naked  and 
departed,  carrying  his  gun  with  him,  and  crawling 
on  his  belly  like  a  serpent. 

*•  During  this  time  I  placed  my  hunters  in  the 
posts  they  were  to  occupy,  whilst  I  remained  where 
I  was  with  two  Hottentots — the  one  held  my  horse 
and  the  other  the  dogs.  We  were  all  three  con- 
cealed behind  a  bush.  I  had  in  my  hand  an  opera- 
glass,  with  which  I  had  often  watched  the  jeu  cles 
macJdnes,  and  the  effect  of  theatrical  decorations : 
but  the  objects  were  changed  now !  At  this  moment 
it  exhibited  to  mo  two  frightful  monsters,  turning 
their  hideous  heads  now  on  this  side,  now  on  that. 
Soon  their  movements  of  observation  and  of  fear 
became  more  frequent,  and  I  feared  lest  they  might 
have  heard   the  motions  of  my  dogs,  which,  having 


THE   RHINOCEROS.  149 

p3rceived  them,  were  struggling  to  escape  from  their 
keeper,  and  to  rush  towards  them. 

"  Jonker,  on  his  part,  continued  to  advance,  though 
slowly,  keeping  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  two  animals, 
and  becoming  suddenly  motionless  the  instant  they 
turned  their  heads  in  his  direction.  His  crawling, 
with  all  its  interruptions,  lasted  for  an  hour.  At 
length  I  saw  him  direct  his  movements  towards  a 
great  tuft  of  milk- wort,  which  was  within  about 
200  yards  of  the  rhinoceroses. 

"Arrived  there,  and  sure  of  being  well  concealed, 
he  arose,  and  after  turning  his  eyes  on  all  sides,  to 
see  that  his  comrades  were  at  their  posts,  he  pre- 
pared to  fire. 

*' During  the  whole  time  of  his  crawling  I  had 
followed  him  with  my  eyes,  and  in  proportion  as 
he  advanced,  I  felt  my  heart  palpitate  involuntarily. 
But  the  palpitation  redoubled  when  I  saw  him  so 
close  to  the  animals,  and  on  the  point  of  firing  at 
one  of  them,  "What  would  I  not  have  given  at  that 
moment  to  have  been  in  Jonker's  place,  or  at  least 
beside  him !  I  waited  with  the  most  vivid  impatience 
for  the  shot  to  be  fired,  and  I  could  not  conceive 
what  prevented  his  firing ;  but  the  Hottentot  who 
was  by  my  side,  and  who  with  his  naked  eye  could 
distinguish  him  as  perfectly  as  I  with  my  lorgnette, 
said  that  if  Jonker  did  not  fire,  it  was  because  he  was 


150  THE    RHINOCEROS. 

waiting  for  one  of  the  rhinoceroses  to  turn,  that  he 
might  aim  at  his  head. 

*'At  last,  the  largest  of  the  two  having  turned 
his  head  in  our  direction,  he  fired. 

"Wounded  with  the  shot,  he  uttered  a  frightful 
cry,  and,  followed  by  the  female,  ran  with  fury 
towards  the  place  whence  the  noise  had  come.  A 
cold  perspiration  came  over  me,  for  I  expected  to 
see  the  two  monsters  break  through  the  bush,  crush 
under  their  feet  the  unhappy  Jonker,  and  tear  him 
in  pieces;  but  he  had  thrown  himself  flat  on  the 
ground,  and  the  ruse  succeeded  perfectly.  They 
passed  near  him  without  seeing  him,  and  came 
straight  towards  me. 

"Then  my  agony  was  turned  into  joy,  and  I 
prepared  to  receive  them.  But  the  dogs,  already 
excited  by  the  gun-shot  which  they  had  heard, 
became  so  maddened  at  their  approach,  that  being  un- 
able to  hold  them,  I  unloosed  them  and  let  them 
on  them. 

"At  this  sight  they  took  a  turn,  and  made  off  in 
the  direction  of  one  of  the  ambuscades,  where  they 
underwent  another  firing;  then  in  a  third  direction, 
where  again  they  were  met  with  another  shot.  My 
dogs  harassed  them  beyond  measure,  which  still  in- 
creased their  rage.  They  kicked  at  them  furiously, — 
they  tore  up  the  plain  with  their  horns,  and  ploughed 


THE    EHINOCEEOS.  151 

up  furrows  seven  or  eight  inches  deep,  throwing  around 
them  a  shower  of  stones  and  pebbles. 

''During  this  time  we  were  all  approaching,  in 
order  to  make  as  close  a  circle  round  them  as  pos- 
sible, and  to  bring  all  our  forces  against  them. 
This  multitude  of  enemies  with  which  they  saw 
themselves  surrounded,  threw  them  into  inexpres- 
sible fury.  Suddenly  the  male  stopped,  and  ceasing 
to  fly  before  the  dogs,  turned  upon  them  to  attack 
and  rip  them  up.  But  whilst  he  was  pursuing  them 
the  female  got  away. 

"I  was  not  sorry  for  this  flight,  which  was  indeed 
much  in  our  favour,  for  it  is  certain,  that  in  spite 
of  our  number  and  our  arms,  two  such  formidable 
enemies  would  have  very  much  embarrassed  us.  I 
must  even  acknowledge  that  without  my  dogs  we 
should  not  have  been  able  to  encounter  the  risks 
and  perils  of  the  one  remaining.  The  traces  of 
blood  which  he  left  on  his  path  told  us  that  he 
had  received  more  than  one  wound,  which  only 
served  to  increase  his  rage. 

''Nevertheless,  after  some  time  occupied  in  making 
his  furious  attack,  he  beat  retreat,  and  seemed  to 
wish  to  gain  some  bushes,  apparently  to  support  him- 
self, and  that  he  might  be  harassed  in  front  only.  I 
divined  his  ruse,  and  with  the  design  of  preventing 
it,  I  ran   towards   the   bushes,  making  signs  to  the 


152  THE   RHINOCEROS. 

two  hunters  nearest  to  mo  to  go  there  also.  He 
was  not  more  than  thirty  yards  from  us  when  we 
gained  the  post,  then  all  three  facing  him  at  the 
same  time,  we  fired,  and  he  fell,  without  being  able 
to  rise  again*'*'* 


CHAPTEE     XI. 

Many  Indians  imagine  that  a  human  soul  dwells  in 
the  elephant's  body.  In  Siam  and  in  Pegu  white  ele- 
phants are  regarded  as  the  living  manes  of  Indian 
emperors.  These  animals,  exempt  from  all  service,  live 
in  palaces,  are  served  by  numerous  domestics,  eat  the 
choicest  food  out  of  golden  vessels,  and  are  clothed 
with  magnificent  ornaments.  They  must  not  bend  their 
knees,  except  before  the  emperor,  who  returns  their 
salute.  Notwithstanding  so  much  adulation,  they  re- 
main gentle  and  obedient.  If  the  Indians  would  take 
the  trouble  to  reflect,  this  last  circumstance  would 
demonstrate  to  them  that  elephants  are  not  animated 
by  human  inspiration.  They  are  but  beasts,  in  fact, 
but  they  are  the  wisest  of  all  beasts.  None  surpass 
them  either  in  intelligence,  address,  strength,  or  doci- 
lity; none  leave  in  the  hands  of  the  hunter  a  spoil 
more  choice  or  precious ;  and  hence  the  motives  for 
which  man  declares  war  on  them. 

In  India  the  hunting  of  the  elephant  has  for  its  end 


154  THE    ELEPHANT. 

sometimes  to  make  prisoners,  and  sometimes  to  obtain 
ivory.  In  Soutli  Africa  the  latter  is  always  the  object 
in  view ;  and  for  the  reason  that  in  India  the  elephant 
is  employed  in  war,  in  hunting,  and  in  a  variety  of 
works,  whilst  in  Africa  he  is  not  so  employed  at  the 
present  day ;  besides,  the  species  in  this  latter  region  is 
much  smaller  and  weaker  than  in  the  other. 

There  are  two  species,  the  Indian  and  African.  The 
Indian  elephant  has  a  concave  forehead,  smaU  tusks 
and  ears,  teeth  formed  in  serrated  laminae,  the  number 
of  \xbich  rise  to  twenty-six ;  five  nails  to  the  fore-feet, 
and  four  to  the  hind-feet.  It  is  found  all  over  the  con- 
tinent, from  the  Indus  to  the  Eastern  sea,  and  in  the 
great  islands  of  Southern  Asia. 

The  African  elephant  has  a  rather  convex  forehead, 
large  tusks,  which  attain  eight  feet  in  length ;  ears 
so  vast  that  they  cover  a  large  part  of  the  shoulder. 
The  teeth  are  formed  of  ten  laminsB  only ;  four  claws 
to  the  fore-feet,  and  three  to  the  hind-feet.  It  is  found 
from  Senegal  and  the  Niger  to  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope. 

The  two  species  live  in  large  herds  in  solitary  forests. 
One  male  conducts  the  herd.  When  danger  menaces 
them  he  takes  the  lead,  the  females  and  the  young  fol- 
low. They  never  attack  man  or  any  animal ;  but  when 
provoked,  they  defend  themselves  with  intrepidity,  and 
their  weight,  their  speed,  and  their  tusks,  make  them 


THE   ELEPHANT.  155 

the  most  redoubtable  adversaries  that  a  hunter  could 
encounter. 


II. 

There  is,  however,  an  exception  to  what  has  just  been 
said  as  to  the  inoffensive  character  of  the  elephant. 
As  the  male  who  conducts  a  herd  never  allows  a  rival 
to  approach  it,  there  exists  a  certain  number  of  solitary 
old  boys,  who  are  sometimes  most  wicked  brutes.  At 
certain  seasons  they  become  quite  furious,  and  during 
a  week  or  two  they  kill  whatever  they  encounter. 

Captain  Dunlop  gives  some  instances.  .  He  tells  us 
specially  of  a  solitary  elephant  in  the  Doon,  known  by 
the  name  of  Gunesh,  which  belonged  to  the  Government 
Commissariat.  Having  killed  his  keeper,  he  fled  to  the 
jungles,  carrying,  fastened  to  his  leg,  a  fragment  of  the 
chain  which  had  served  to  attach  him.  It  was  there- 
fore easy  to  recognize  him,  and  he  is  said  to  have  killed 
fifteen  persons  in  fifteen  years. 

A  pedestrian  courier  of  the  English  postal  service, 
whilst  on  his  journey  from  Bagdad,  with  his  bag  of 
despatches  on  his  back,  was  pursued  by  a  "  solitary,'* 
caught,  and  crushed  beneath  his  feet. 

Whilst  the  canal  of  Beejapore  was  being  made,  about 
three  miles  from  Dehra,  an  elephant,  which  had  hidden 
behind  a  bush,  rushed  on  some  native  workmen.     He 


156  THE   ELEPHANT. 

upset  one,  and  holding  the  wretch's  limbs  under  his 
heavy  foot,  he  tore  away  the  upper  part  of  his  body, 
by  means  of  his  trunk  coiled  under  the  armpits,  and 
continued  his  route,  brandishing  this  bloody  trophy. 

Two  woodmen  employed  in  felling  trees  in  the  jun- 
gles of  Chandnee-Doon  becoming  ill,  instead  of  follow- 
ing their  fellow-workmen,  remained  in  the  hut,  in  the 
company  of  a  Brahmin,  who  was  employed  in  looking 
after  the  domestic  arrangements  of  the  company.  One 
of  these  woodmen,  wanting  some  water,  went  out  to  a 
neighbouring  spring  :  he  did  not  return.  The  second 
went  afterwards,  but  never  came  back.  In  the  evening 
their  bodies  were  found  at  a  few  yards  from  the  spring. 
From  the  footprints  on  the  soil  it  was  easy  to  divine 
how  they  had  perished.  Both  had  been  the  victims  of 
a  **  solitary."  Their  bodies  did  not  exhibit  any  apparent 
wounds,  only  a  little  dust  could  be  seen  on  their 
breasts  ;  but  when  this  place  was  touched  by  the  hand, 
t  was  found  that  the  bones  were  completely  crushed — 
%  gentle  pressure  of  the  beast's  foot  had  extinguished 
(he  life  of  these  poor  fellows. 


III. 

Elephants    are  very  numerous    in   certain   parts   of 
Africa  and  Asia. 


THE   ELEPHANT.  157 

The  hunter  whom  we  have  just  named  was  encamped 
on  the  shores  of  the  Sooswa.  There  were  a  number  of 
elephants  in  the  camp  ;  and  towards  midnight  they 
showed  signs  of  disquietude,  and  at  first  uttered 
short  shrill  notes;  then  they  made  the  jungle  resound 
with  their  roars,  which  were  almost  immediately  re- 
sponded to,  first  from  one  point,  then  from  another, 
till  the  night  appeared  to  be  peopled  with  their  voices. 

Every  one  was  afoot  immediately.  *'  As  we  were 
endeavouring  to  look  into  the  darkness,  we  suddenly 
recognized  the  presence  of  a  great  pioneer  tusk-bearer, 
close  to  our  elephants ;  then  large  moving  masses  in 
the  neighbourhood,  which  appeared  to  rise  and  fall. 
Sometimes  a  large  opaque  body,  which  we  had  mistaken 
for  a  tree  or  a  bush,  and,  as  such,  neglected,  would 
suddenly  disappear  into  space  in  solemn  silence,  whilst 
obscure  outlines  of  arched  backs  and  trunks  passed 
before  our  eyes,  like  the  phantoms  of  a  dream,  which 
are  lost  in  the  night.  Suddenly  the  leader  of  the 
herd  seemed  to  take  alarm,  and  we  heard  a  long 
splashing,  during  which  the  elephants  were  crossing 
the  waves  of  the  Sooswa,  from  our  side. 

"  There  was  a  gap  in  the  bank  of  the  river  near  to 
us,  and,  as  the  leaders  of  the  elephants  chose  this 
route,  we  soon  saw  the  whole  sombre  column  glide  to 
the  coast  from  us  in  a  bluish  light,  as  regularly  as  tho 
images  in  the  slides  of  a  magic-lantern. 


158  THE   ELEPHANT. 

"  There  were,  as  near  as  I  could  manage  to  ascertain, 
about  seventy  of  them  in  .  the  herd ;  and  I  remarked 
here  and  there  the  pale  light  of  the  ivory." 

Such  are  the  pictures  which  unfold  themselves  in 
Asia  to  the  sight  of  the  traveller.  In  Ceylon  they 
frequently  take  a  hundred  elephants  or  more  in  one 
hattue.  So  much  for  India.  In  Africa  a  like  Spectacle 
is  seen.  Speke,  in  the  Ounyoro,  met  a  herd  of  a 
hundred  female  elephants  ;  and  Livingstone  says  that 
there  are  a  prodigious  number  on  the  spot  where  the 
Zonga  empties  into  the  Lake  Ngami. 

Delegorgue  estimated  that  he  w^as  once  in  the  midst 
of  a  herd  of  six  hundred.  A  hunter  has  even  pre- 
tended to  have  seen  three  thousand  at  once. 


;  IV. 

In  India  the  methods  of  taking  elephants  are  very 
varied  (we  will  describe  farther  on  how  they  kill  them)  ; 
to  describe'  them  all  would  be  tedious.  It  is  well 
known  "what  pomp  the  Eastern  princes  were  used  to 
display  in  these  expeditions. 

One  day,  as  the  Count  de  Forbin,  then  Grand  Ad- 
miral and  General  of  the  armies  of  the  King  of  Siam, 
was  assisting  at  a  hunt  of  this  kind,  the  king  asked 
him  what  he  thought  of  the  magnificent  display  around 
him.     *'  Sire,"  replied  Forbin,  *^  seeing  your  majesty 


THE    ELEPHANT.  159 

surrounded  by  all  this  cortege,  I  imagine  that  I  see 
the  king,  my  master,  at  the  head  of  his  troops,  giving 
orders  and  disposing  all  things  for  a  great  battle. 

"This  reply,''  he  adds,  ''gave  him  great  pleasure, 
as  I  had  foreseen  it  would;  for  I  knew  that  he  loved 
nothing  in  the  world  better  than  to  be  compared  to 
Louis  le  Grand ;  and,  if  the  truth  must  be  written, 
this  comparison,  which  went  no  further  than  the  ex- 
terior grandeur  and  magnificence  of  the.  two  princes, 
was  not  absolutely  without  justice,  there  being  few 
spectacles  in  the  world  more  superb  than  the  public 
processions  of  the  King  of  Siam.*' 

The  following  are  the  modern  methods  of  hunting. 
In  some  places  they  are  pursued  with  tame  elephants, 
trained  for  the  purpose,  and  very  swift. 

When  these  have  come  up  with  one,  the  hunter 
throws,  with  much  dexterity,  a  noose  of  very  stout 
cord,  in  such  a  way  that  the  wild  animal  finds  himself 
caught  by  the  foot.  He  falls,  and  they  strap  him  down 
before  he  has  time  or  opportunity  for  rising.  They 
then  fasten  him  between  two  strong  tame  elephants, 
who  beat  him  with  their  trunks  if  he  is  at  all  re- 
fractory, and  compel  him  to  walk  with  them  to  the 
stables. 

In  Ceylon  an  elephant  hunt  is  a  very  important 
affair.  The  government  assembles  a  great  number  of 
Europeans  and  Cingalese,  who  meet  in  the  forest  where 


160  THE   ELEPHANT. 

these  animals  are  to  be  found.  All  these  hunters  form 
a  vast  circle,  which  they  gradually  narrow,  advancing 
and  shouting. 

The  frightened  elephants  have  but  one  side  to  fly, 
and  there  is  found  the  *'  redan,"  into  which  they  are 
forced  to  enter.  This  redan  is  nothing  less  than  a 
great  circle  of  stakes,  terminating  in  a  sort  of  narrow 
neck ;  once  entered  into  which  the  elephants  can  no 
longer  return.  In  order  to  force  them  to  enter,  shouts 
are  increased,  and  burning  torches  are  thrown  before 
their  eyes;  then  their  fears  are  redoubled,  and  they 
rush  into  the  trap,  which  encloses  them.  The  first 
care  after  the  capture  is  to  tame  them. 

This  is  managed  by  placing  one  or  two  tame  ele- 
phants near  the  opening,  by  which  the  wild  ones  are 
made  to  pass  out,  tied  together,  as  we  have  said 
already.  Hunger  on  the  one  hand,  and  blows  from  the 
trunks  of  their  docile  companions  on  the  other,  soon 
inspire  them  with  resignation. 

They  are  also  taken  by  pitfalls.  A  path  is  chosen 
which  is  used  many  times  in  the  year  by  the  elephants, 
and  which  probably  serves  as  a  route  in  going  from 
the  jungles  to  some  spring  in  the  mountains. 

Across  these  paths  several  pits  are  dug  of  about 
twenty  feet  wide  and  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  deep,  and 
which  are  then  covered  over  with  branches  and  turf. 

However   admirably  these  pits   may  be   concealed, 


THE   ELEPHANT.  161 

it  does  not  often  happen  that  the  elephants  fall 
therein.  Not  only  do  they  try  with  their  feet  with 
the  greatest  care  any  ground  that  looks  suspicious, 
but  they  make  constant  use  of  their  trunks  to  prove 
the  solidity  of  the  soil,  or  to  clear  out  of  the  way 
everything  which  appears  to  hide  a  trap. 

It  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  draw  an  elephant  out 
of  one  of  these  pits,  and  it  can  only  be  done  by  the 
aid  of  a  tame  elephant ;  otherwise  it  would  be 
necessary  to  subdue  the  animal  by  hunger  before 
thinking  of  getting  him  out. 

Any  one  getting  within  reach  of  the  trunk  of  an 
elephant  just  taken,  would  do  so  at  the  risk  of  his 
life ;  but,  singularly  enough,  a  driver  mounted  on  a 
tame  elephant's  neck  can  approach  the  novice  with 
impunity,  and  tighten  or  slacken  the  noose  round 
his  neck  or  feet. 

The  cords  placed  round  the  legs  sometimes  cut 
them  to  the  bone,  and  leave  marks  which  endure 
for  the  animal's  lifetime.  No  nourishment  is  given 
to  him  for  several  days.  This  deprivation  of  food 
soon  brings  down  his  courage,  and  then  it  is  thai; 
his  appointed  driver  insures  the  friendly  recognition 
of  the  elephant  by  bringing  him  food  and  unbinding 
his  limbs. 


1G2  THE  ETJ3^HA:^;T• 


V. 

Once  appeased,  they  become  very  submissive,  and 
are  used  as  beasts  of  burden;  they  are  capari- 
soned for  hunting  and  for  war ;  they  are  made  to 
carry  heavy  loads,  and  are  obedient  to  the  voice  and 
gesture. 

*'The  Siamese,'*  says  Forbin,  *' obtain  consider- 
able services  from  these  animals.  They  use  them 
almost  as  domestics,  and  especially  for  taking  care 
of  the  children :  they  take  them  up  with  their  trunks 
and  put  them  to  bed  and  rock  them  •  to  sleep ;  and 
when  mamma  wants  them,  she  has  only  to  order  the 
elephant  to  go  and  bring  them  to  her.'* 

Numerous  instances  which  testify  to  their  intelli- 
gence and  docility  are  well  known. 

Can  one  believe  this,  which  a  Siamese  king  reported 
of  one  on  which  he  was  mounted? — *^  This  elephant 
had  not  long  since  a  groom  who  half  famished  him 
by  depriving  him  a  portion  of  the  food  allotted  to  him. 
The  animal  had  no  other  means  of  complaining  but 
by  his  cries,  and  made  such  a  horrible  noise  that  he 
could  be  heard  all  through  the  palace.  Not  being 
able  to  divine  the  cause  of  his  crying  so  loudly,  but 
suspecting  the  real  fact,  I  gave  him  another  groom, 


THE   ELEPHANT.  163 

who,  being  more  faithful,  and  having  given  him, 
without  wrong,  his  full  measure  of  rice,  the  elephant 
divided  it  into  two  parts  with  his  trunk,  and  when 
he  had  eaten  one  half,  he  set  up  his  cry  again, 
indicating  thereby  to  all  who  ran  to  see  what  was 
the  matter,  the  infidelity  of  the  first  groom,  who 
acknowledged  his  crime,  for  which  I  caused  him  to 
be  severely  chastised." 

Count  de  Warren  relates  the  following,  which  took 
place  in  India  during  the  Coorg  war,  at  a  time 
when  the  writer's  brigade  was  engaged  in  the  bed 
of  a  dry  mountain  torrent : — 

*'  This  circumstance  enabled  us  to  appreciate  the 
intelligence  of  the  elephants,  and  their  usefulness  in 
the  mountains.  Having  reached  a  point  where  the 
bed  of  the  torrent  fell  in  cascades,  it  became  a 
question  as  to  the  mode  of  raising  the  guns  up  the 
almost  vertical  declivity  of  a  granite  rock,  the  surface 
of  which  the  waters  had  worn  and  polished.  The 
oxen  which  drew  the  cannon  gave  up  the  attempt 
after  one  or  two  efforts,  and  lay  down,  as  they 
always  do  in  desperate  cases. 

*'  It  was  then  determined  to  send  for  some 
elephants  of  the  convoy.  Two  of  the  most  docile 
were  stripped  of  their  loads  and  led  by  their  guides 
to  the  place  where  the  cannons  were  left^  It  was 
indicated   to  them    by  voice   and    gesture   what   was 

M  2 


164  THE    ELEPHANT. 

expected  from  their  courage ;  and  the  confidence  thus 
shown  in  them  was  not  misplaced.  One  of  the 
colossal  beasts,  placing  himself  behind  a  gun,  applied 
the  extremity  of  his  trunk  to  it,  and  pushing  it 
before  him,  whilst  the  cannoneers  guided  it,  sent  it 
up  the  rocky  chasm.  A  little  farther  on,  the  gun 
having  rolled  into  a  ravine,  and  being  upset,  the  two 
elephants  lifted  it  up  with  their  trunks,  one  on  this 
side,  and  one  on  that,  and  replaced  it  on  its 
carriage.'* 

A  still  more  remarkable  fact  occurred  duiing  the 
terrible  insurrection  in  India. 

*'  One  day,  during  the  march  on  Lucknow,  in  the 
month  of  March,  1858,  by  the  order  of  General 
Outram,  three  howitzers  were  taken  from  the  backs 
of  the  elephants  which  carried  them  on  the  march, 
and  were  placed  in  a  battery  on  a  little  eminence,  for 
the  purpose  of  annoying  the  enemy's  flank.  One 
of  them  bears  a  celebrated  name  in  India,  from  his 
mother,  of  which  he  is  worthy,  as  we  shall  see,  viz., 
Kudabar-Moll. 

'*  As  soon  as  the  pieces  were  in  position,  the 
animal  placed  himself,  according  to  orders,  at  a  few 
steps  behind,  and  looked  on.  Soon  the  greater  part 
of  the  artillerymen  fell,  decimated  by  the  musketry 
of  the  enemy;  seeing  this,  Kudabar-Moll  II.  inter- 
posed,   and   taking   the   cartridges   from   the   waggon 


THE    ELEPHANT.  165 

with  his  trunk,  ho  passed  them,  one  by  one,  to  the 
few  survivors.  The  moment  came  when  there  re- 
mained only  three  Englishmen.  These  brave  fellows 
succeeded,  nevertheless,  in  reloading  the  howitzers, 
but  before  they  could  fire  them  they  all  fell,  mortally 
w^oundcd. 

** '  Here,  my  brave  Kudabar       cried  he  who  held  the 
match.     The  elephant  approached,  seized  the  match, 
fired  the  first    gun,   and  w^as    ready  to    continue  the 
manoeuvre,  when  two  companies  of  infantry  came  up  ' 
and  dislodged  the  enemy." 

But  there  is  nothing  perfect  in  this  w^orld — elephant 
no  more  than  man ;  here  is  one  proof  among  others : 
— *'  A  male  elephant,  belonging  to  the  commissariat, 
was  drinking  at  a  stream,  which  passes  through  the 
city  of  Delira.  An  old  w^oman  approached  to  fill 
her  pitcher  with  water,  when  the  animal,  seized 
v>ith  an  inexplicable  desire  for  mischief,  passed  his 
trunk  round  the  woman,  threw  her  dow^n,  and  placing 
her  under  one  of  his  feet,  quietly  crushed  her,  and 
then  began  to  flap  his  ears  and  to  drink,  as  if  this 
little  buffoonery  had  been  but  an  innocent  \vander- 
ing  of  the-  imagination." 

It  sometimes  happens  that  domestic  elephants 
escape,  and  as  we  have  seen  some  of  these  become 
deserters.  Others  arc  not  slow  in  becoming  disgusted 
wdth  their  liberty,  and  come  back  to  service  of  their 


166  THE  ELEPHANT. 

own  accord.  A  large  female,  named  Eam-Kullee, 
celebrated  at  Hurdwar  for  her  cleverness  in  calming 
and  training  the  elephants  taken  in  the  traps,  fled 
into  the  jungles  on  two  or  three  occasions,  and  each 
time  came  back  of  her  own  accord. 


VI. 

We  have  described  the  method  of  taking  elephants  in 
India,  let  us  now  show  by  one  or  two  examples  how 
they  kill  them. 

In  the  wild  gorges  of  Sewalik  two  natives,  a  Brin- 
jara  and  a  Ghoorka,  accompanied  the  hunter,  who 
relates  as  follows : — *'  We  had  just  thrown  ourselves 
on  the  ground,  exhausted  by  the  heat  and  want  of 
water,  which  is  very  scarce  during  summer  on  the 
northern  side  of  the  mountain  chain  of  the  Sewalik, 
when  the  silence  which  surrounded  us  was  suddenly 
interrupted  by  the  cracking  of  a  broken  branch.  We 
advanced  gently  and  silently  in  the  direction  indi- 
cated by  the  noise,  and  came  upon  a  herd  of  six 
large  and  several  young  elephants  feeding.  They 
had  no  wind  of  us,  although  I  had  taken  no  pre- 
caution in  this  respect ;  and,  flapping  their  large  ears, 
they  continued  to  browse  the  bushes  of  the  bamboos 
and  other  trees  around  them.     After  having  placed  the 


THE   ELEPHANT.  167 

Brinjara  at  a  safe  distance,  and  ordered  tlie  little 
Ghoorka  to  keep  himself  at  about  twenty  or  thirty  yards 
behind  me  with  my  reserve  double-barrelled  guns, 
I  began  to  creep  towards  the  herd  with  my  single 
carabine.  Suddenly  a  change  in  the  wind  caused  a 
number  of  trunks  to  be  raised  into  the  air.  The 
trunk  has  a  little  appendage  in  the  shape  of  a  finger, 
and  in  a  second  each  of  them  was  turned  towards 
the  bush  behind  which  I  was  stooping  down,  as  if 
to  indicate  the  place  whence  danger  might  be  ex- 
pected. The  herd  then  began  to  move  off  slowly, 
their  frequent  encounters  with  woodmen  in  the 
jungles  having  rendered  them  less  easy  to  frighten 
than  they  would  otherwise  have  been.  We  did 
not  see  any  ivory-bearer  amongst  them;  and  if 
the  male  was  not  near  at  hand,  the  head  of  the 
troop  would  be  some  great  muckna,  or  tuskless 
male. 

**  An  enormous  female  was  making  her  repast 
amongst  the  branches  of  a  bush  of  bamboos,  at  a 
short  distance  in  front  of  me.  I  crept  along  under 
the  cover,  and  arrived  within  four  yards  of  her  be- 
fore she  saw  me.  I  aimed  at  her  temples  and  fired. 
I  had  resolved  to  hasten  to  the  bottom  of  the  escarp- 
ment as  quickly  as  I  could,  to  see  the  effects  of  my 
shot,  and  as  soon  as  I  had  fired  I  ran  straight  to 
the  place  where  my  Ghoorka  was  waiting.     A  fearful 


168  THE   ELEPHANT. 

fracas  in  the  trees  followed  the  sound  of  my  gun,  and 
I  perceived  the  Brinjara  flying  through  the  wood  in  a 
terrible  fright. 

*^  As  I  was  not  pursued,  I  returned  to  the  place 
whence  I  had  fired,  and  I  saw  the  elephant  lying 
dead. 

*^  The  ball  had  pierced  the  skull,  but  it  had  but 
touched  the .  brain,  although  it  weighed  four  ounces, 
w^as  pointed  with  steel,  and  I  had  charged  with  six 
drachms  of  powxler — equal  to  about  four  ordinary 
charges." 

Another  example.  We  are  this  time  in  the 
forest  of  Dholekote,  on  the  track  of  a  whole  herd. 
The  interest  of  the  matter  consists  in  this — that  the 
hunter  was  mounted  on  a  female  elephant  provided 
with  a  saddle.  He  had  determined  to  descend  as 
soon  as  he  should  be  in  sight  of  the  game,  but  he 
was  not  slow  in  -discovering  that  the  old  paterfamilias, 
which  was  armed  with  respectable  ivories,  took  the 
alarm  like  the  rest  as  soon  as  the  hunter  descended 
fi'om  his  seat;  whereas,  on  the  contrary,  he  seemed 
to  contemplate  fearlessly  the  elephant  carrying  his 
two  men. 

**  I  determined  then,  in  spite  of  the  many 
objections  of  the  driver,  wiio  doubted  that  my 
carabine  could  stop  short  an  elephant  in  full  charge, 
to  go    straight   to   the   old   male  and  to  fire  at  him 


THE   ELEPHANT.  169 

from  the  back  of  my  elephant.  I  had  an  American 
rifle,  the  power  of  which  I  w^as  very  desirous  of 
proving,  and  with  this  gun  I  fired  at  the  animal's 
temples,  at  a  distance  of  forty  paces.  At  that  distance 
I  could  easily  hit  the  bottom  of  a  wine-glass,  and 
I  was  therefore  perfectly  certain  that  I  had  struck 
the  place  I  aimed  at ;  but  its  calibre  w^as  not 
sufficient,  and  the  patriarch  scampered  off,  followed 
by  four  balls  from  my  battery,  which  I  foolishly  fired 
off,  in  the  vainhope  of   stopping  him. 

**  We  then  recommenced  following  the  track, 
assisted  here  and  there  by  drops  of  blood.  After  a 
pursuit  of  five  miles  we  discovered  that  we  had 
changed  the  route,  having  lost  the  wounded  elephant 
and  taken  that  of  an  elephant  which  had  wTJidered 
from  the  path  taken  by  the  troop.  We  v\^ere,  in  fact, 
following  the  fresh  footprints  of  a  solitary  malOj 
whose  meditations  we  troubled  at  about  ten  milea 
from  the  place  where  our  first  shot  had  been  fired- 
We  were  now  in  the  forest  of  Horawalla,  where  one 
is  always  sure  to  find  elephants  at  the  time  wher 
tlie  rice  is  ripening. 

*'  This  time  I  used  my  heavy  carabine,  firing  from 
the  back  of  my  elephant  at  about  fifteen  paces.  My 
aim  was  not  perfectly  certain  ;  the  old  male  stumbled 
and  fell  on  his  knees,  but  as  he  roared  furiously,  it 


170  THE   ELEPHANT. 

was  clear  that  the  brain  had  not  been  penetrated.  I 
therefore  slipped  down,  and  firing  another  ball 
straight  into  the  face  of  the  solitary  animal  at  three 
yards'  distance,  I  killed  him  instantly;  and  climbing 
upon  the  enormous  carcase,  I  sat  in  triumph  on  "uy 
dead  enemy." 


CHAPTEE  Xir. 

^I^pljaub   (continued). 

VII. 

In  Africa  they  hunt  the  elephant  not  for  the  purpose 
of  securing  a  powerful  servant,  but  to  procure  his 
tusks.  It  is,  therefore,  by  his  death  that  all  happy 
expeditions  terminate.  There  are  a  great  variety  of 
ways  of  ensuring  this  result. 

Let  us  pass  into  Nubia  for  awhile. 

Before  all  things,  it  is  necessary  that  hunters 
should  know  the  daily  habits  of  that  wdiich  they 
wish  to  make  their  prey,  as  w^ell  as  the  places  fre- 
quented by  it.  This  condition  being  fulfilled,  they 
establish  themselves  in  the  thick  foliage  of  the  large 
trees  which  the  elephants  browse  and  being  invisible, 
they  await  his  approach ;  when  the  unsuspecting 
animal,  finds  himself  underneath  them,  seizing  a 
favourable  instant,  they  plunge  their  lances  into  his 
eyes  and  jaws.  This  proceeding  might  appear  very 
simple  :  it  is  very  dangerous ;  for  if  the  animal  is 
only  wounded,   the  tree  must  be  a   very  strong   one 


172  THE    ELEPHAKT. 

tliat  lie  ^\ill  not  tear  up  by  the  root.  Woe,  then,  to 
the  imprudent  one,  who,  calculating  distance  badly, 
shall  have  placed  himself  on  a  branch  low  enough 
for  the  animal  to  reach  him.  He  will  die  beneath 
the   weight  of  his  intended  prey. 

Those  of  the  Sennaar  are  taken  in  a  manner  which 
will  interest  the  reader. 

Two  men,  absolutely  naked,  mount  a  horse  ;  they 
are  naked  because  it  is  necessary  that  not  the  least 
rag  should  be  caught  by  the  branches  of  trees  or 
bushes  when   they  fly  before  their  enemy. 

One  of  the  riders  holds  a  short  stick  in  his  right 
hand,  and  with  his  left  he  holds  the  bridle  carefully. 
His  comrade  behind  him  is  armed  with  a  large  sabre, 
the  hilt  of  which  he  holds  in  his  left  hand.  Fourteen 
inches  of  the  blade  are  covered  with  twine,  so  that 
he  can  take  this  part  of  the  blade  in  his  right  hand 
without  risk  of  wounding  himself;  and,  although  the 
blade  may  be  sharp  as  a  razor,  he  carries  it  without  a 
sheath. 

As  soon  as  they  have  discovered  the  animal  brovrs- 
ing,  the  man  who  guides  the  horse  rushes  straight  at 
him,  shouting,  ^' I  am  such  a  one;  this  is  my  horse, 
named  so-and-so.  I  have  killed  your  father  in  such 
a  place,  and  your  grandfather  in  such  another  place ; 
now  I  am  going  to  kill  you ;  you  are  but  an  ass 
in    comparison  with   your  father."     The   rider   really 


THE    ELEPHANT.  173 

believes  that  the  elephant  comprehends  these  words, 
because,  irritated  by  the  noise,  he  endeavours  to  strike 
with  his  trunk,  and  instead  of  saving  himself,  as  he 
might  do,  by  flight,  pursues  the  horse,  which  turns 
round  and  round  him  unceasingly.  At  length  the 
rider,  galloping  close  up  to  the  animal,  in  passing,  lets 
his  companion  slip  down,  who,  profiting  by  the  moment 
when  the  elephant  is  occupied  with  the  horse,  adroitly 
gives  him  a  sabre  cut  over  the  top  of  the  heel,  and 
cuts  the  tendon  which  in  man  is  called  the  ''tendon 
Achilles." 

This  is  the  moment  of  difnculty,  for  the  rider  must 
at  once  get  behind  to  take  up  his  companion,  who 
springs  up  on  the  horse's  crupper.  They  then  follow 
the  other  elephants  with  the  utmost  speed,  if  they 
have  separated  more  than  one  of  the  herd,  and 
sometimes  they  kill  as  many  as  three  of  the  same 
band.  If  the  sabre  is  well  sharpened,  and  the  man 
strikes  with  a  sure  hand,  the  tendon  is  entirely 
separated;  if  it  is  not,  the  v/eight  of  the  animal 
Koon  completes  the  work.  The  elephant,  no  longer 
able  to  advance,  falls  beneath  the  javelin,  and  expires 
from  loss  of  blood. 

However  clever  the  hunters  may  be,  the  elephant 
sometimes  seizes  them  with  his  trunk,  and  with  a 
single  blov/  felling  horse  and  rider  to  the  ground, 
he  tears  them  limb  from  limb>    one  after  the   other. 


174  THE   ELEPHANT. 

Many  perish  in  this  manner.  Besides  this,  during 
the  hunting  season  the  earth  is  so  dry  from  the  sun, 
that  there  are  numerous  cracks,  and  it  is  then  very 
dangerous  for  riding  on  horseback. 

Nevertheless,  mention  has  been  made  of  a  man 
who,  regardless  of  the  perils  of  this  sport,  had  arrived 
at  such  perfection,  that  he  acted  without  the  aid  of 
any  one  else.     Let  him  speak  for  himself. 

"  I  rub  my  body  with  elephant  grease,  and  conceal 
myself  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  places  which 
they  frequent.  I  watch  them  attentively,  and  when 
I  see  one  separated  from  his  companions,  I  approach 
him  cautiously.  The  odour  which  I  give  out  pre- 
vents the  animal  from  paying  any  attention  to  me. 
I  am  armed  with  a  sharp-edged  sword,  and  with  a 
vigorous  arm  I  strike  the  animal  on  the  hind-leg, 
and  as  quick  as  a  gazelle  I  disappear.  The  blood 
flows  from  his  wound,  and  the  furious  animal  utters 
terrible  cries,  which  make  his  affrighted  companions 
fly.  Irritated  by  the  pain,  he  strikes  the  earth  with 
his  wounded  foot,  completes  the  cut,  and  falls,  over- 
powered by  his  own  mass,  incapable  of  rising.  The 
elephant  is  alone,  the  others  having  taken  their  depar- 
ture ;  I  can  then  approach  him  without  fear,  knowing 
that  he  will  not  be  succoured ;  and,  provided  that  I 
avoid  placing  myself  within  reach  of  his  trunk,  it  is 
an  easy  matter  to  finish  him.'* 


THE   ELEPHANT.  175 

VIII. 

Let  us  now  go  to  the  south,  our  way  enlivened  by  one 
of  the  hunting  adventures  of  the  unfortunate  Captain 
Speke. 

This  happened  in  the  Oungoro. 

*'  Some  elephants  were  signalled  in  the  neighbour- 
hood. My  comrade  and  I — our  guns  ready — dis- 
covered a  troop  of  a  hundred  females,  on  a  plain 
covered  with  tall  grass,  here  and  there  sprinkled 
with  hillocks,  clothed  with  dwarf  shrubs.  We  fired 
at  a  dozen  at  least  without  killing  one  of  these 
enormous  beasts,  and  only  one  seemed  inclined  to 
charge.  Profiting  by  the  thickness  of  the  grass,  I 
crept  within  reach  of  the  herd,  and  sent  a  shot  at  one 
of  the  largest,  which  had  separated  from  the  rest  while 
browsing.  The  others,  taking  alarm,  formed  a  group, 
and  snufiing  the  air  with  their  trunks  simultaneously 
raised,  finished  by  satisfying  themselves  from  the  smell 
of  the  powder  that  their  enemy  was  in  front  of  them. 
Then,  waving  their  trunks,  they  came  nearer  to  the 
place  where  I  lay  screened  by  a  bend  in  the  ground. 

*'  When  they  scented  me,  their  march  was  at  once 
suspended,  and  erecting  their  heads,  they  surveyed 
me  askaunt  from  head  to  foot.  The  situation  was 
menacing.  I  could  not  manage  so  as  to  strike  one 
in  such  a  way  as  that  it  should  fall  under  the  blow, 


176  THE   ELEPHANT. 

and  if  I  deferred  for  an  instant,  botli  I  and  my 
companion  would  be  thrown  down  and  trampled  under 
foot.  I  hastened  to  aim  at  the  temple,  and  the  blow 
not  proving  mortal,  the  whole  band  took  flight,  and 
hurried  off  to  the  open  country  more  quickly  than 
they  came.  As,  therefore,  I  could  not  Gcparato  one 
of  the  wounded  elephants,  I  gave  in,  for  it  seemed 
to  me  cruel  to  hit  others  in  pure  sport.  On  reflection, 
I  thought  that  I  ought  to  have  used  more  powder ; 
the  small  size  of  these  animals,  compared  with  the 
Indian  elephants,  had  deceived  me,  and  I  had  loaded 
my  gun  as  if  for  rhinoceros  shooting." 


IX. 

The  same  kind  of  traps  is  used  in  South  Africa  as 
in  Asia.  They  cover  them  very  cleverly  with  branches ; 
but  old  elephants,  at  the  head  of  a  band,  have  been 
known  to  remove  the  covering  from  the  pits ;  and 
Livingstone  says  that  he  has  seen  them  drawing 
young  ones  from  the  pit,  into  which  they  had  fallen. 

Travellers  also  sometimes  fall  into  them;  Le  Yail- 
lant,  for  example,  who,  by  means  of  repeatedly  firing 
his  gun,  at  last  attracted  the  attention  of  his  people, 
who  delivered  him. 

M.  du  Chaillu  met  with  the  same  adventure  amongst 
the  Apingis.  The  pit  was  ten  feet  deep,  and  it  was 
night. 


THE   ELEPHANT.  177 

"  For  oncG  I  thought  I  was  lost--alone,  abandoned, 
during  the  night  in  this  accursed  hole.  I  expected, 
moreover,  to  see  some  great  serpent  fall  on  my  head. 
I  shouted  with  all  my  might,  and  I  had  the  good  for- 
tune to  be  heard.  My  people  came,  and  I  got  out  by 
means  of  ropes,  which  they  got  in  the  wood  and  threw 
down  to  me." 

An  elephant,  pursued  by  Livingstone's  people,  fell 
into  one  of  these  pits,  and  there  received  the  javelins 
of  seventy  men  who  pursued  him ;  he  nevertheless 
managed  to  scramble  out  of  the  trap,  looking  like  an  im- 
mense porcupine.  The  hunters  having  no  more  javeiins, 
ran  to  Livingstone,  begging  him  to  finish  the  animal; 
he  fired  two  two-ounce  balls  without  killing  him. 

There  is  another  method  peculiar  to  this  country  de- 
scribed by  M.  du  Chaillu.  "  The  natives  discover  a 
walk  or  path  through  which  it  is  likely  that  a  herd 
or  single  animal  will  soon  pass.  Then  they  take  a 
piece  of  very  heavy  wood,  which  the  Bakalai  call  lianoii, 
and  trice  it  up  into  a  high  tree,  where  it  hangs,  with  a 
sharp  point  armed  with  iron  pointing  downwards.  It 
is  suspended  by  a  rope,  which  is  so  arranged  that  the 
instant  the  elephant  touches  it — which  he  cannot  help 
doing,  if  he  passes  under  the  lianoii — it  is  loosed,  and 
falls  with  tremendous  force  on  to  his  back,  the  iron 
point  wounding  him,  and  the  heavy  weight  generally 
breaking  his  spine," 


178  THE   ELEPHANT. 

The  mode  adopted  by  the  Batongas,  and  the  Ban- 
yai  on  the  Zambesi,  is  somewhat  like  the  foregoing. 
**  They  erect  stages,"  says  Livingstone,  **  on  high  trees 
overhanging  the  path  by  which  the  elephants  come,  and 
then  use  a  large  spear,  with  a  handle  nearly  as  thick  as 
a  man's  wrist,  and  four  or  five  feet  long.  When  the 
animal  comes  beneath,  they  throw  the  spear,  and  if  it 
enters  between  the  ribs  above,  as  the  blade  is  at  least 
twenty  inches  long  by  two  broad,  the  motion  of  the 
handle,  as  it  is  aided  by  knocking  against  the  trees, 
makes  frightful  gashes  within,  and  soon  causes  death. 
They  kill  them  also  by  means  of  a  spear  inserted  in  a 
beam  of  wood,  which,  being  suspended  on  the  branch 
of  a  tree  by  a  cord  attached  to  a  latch  fastened  in  the 
path,  and  intended  to  be  struck  by  the  animal's  foot, 
leads  to  the  fall  of  the  beam,  and,  the  spear  being 
poisoned,  causes  death  in  a  few  hours.** 


X. 

The  attack  with  the  javelin,  in  the  open  country, 
seems  to  be  more  worthy  of  the  true  hunter.  Living- 
stone thus  describes  it : — *^I  had  retired  from  the  noise 
to  take  an  observation  among  some  rocks  of  laminated 
girt,  when  I  beheld  an  elephant  and  her  calf  at  the  end 
of   a  valley,  about  two  miles  distant.      The  calf  was 


THE    ELEPHANT.  179 

rolling  in  the  mud,  and  the  dam  was  standing  fanning 
herself  with  her  great  ears.  As  I  looked  at  them 
through  my  glass,  I  saw  a  long  string  of  my  own  men 
appearing  on  the  other  side  of  them.  I  then  went 
higher  up  the  side  of  the  valley,  in  order  to  have  a 
distinct  view  of  their  mode  of  hunting.  The  goodly 
beast,  totally  unconscious  of  the  approach  of  an  enemy, 
stood  for  some  time  suckling  her  young  one,  which 
seemed  about  two  years  old ;  they  then  went  into  a 
pit  containing  mud,  and  smeared  themselves  all  over 
with  it ;  the  little  one  frisking  about  his  dam,  flapping 
his  ears,  and  tossing  his  trunk  incessantly  in  elephan- 
tine fashion.  She  kept  flapping  her  ears  and  wagging 
her  tail,  as  if  in  the  height  of  enjoyment.  Then  began 
the  piping  of  her  enemies,  which  was  performed  by 
blowing  into  a  tube,  or  the  hands  closed  together, 
as  boys  do  into  a  key.  They  call  out,  to  attract  the 
animal's  attention, — 

*  O  chief!  chief!  we  have  come  to  Idll  you ; 
O  chief!  chief!  many  others  will  die  beside  you; 
The  gods  have  said  it,'  &c.  &c. 

Both  animals  expanded  their  ears  and  listened; 
then  left  their  bath.  As  the  crowd  rushed  towards 
them,  the  little  one  ran  forward,  towards  the  end  of 
the  valley,  but  seeing  the  men,  returned  to  his  dam. 
She  placed  herself  on  the  dangerous  side  of  her  calf, 
and  passed  her  proboscis  over  it  again  and  again,  as  if 


180  THE   ELEPHANT. 

to  assure  it  of  safety.  She  frequently  looked  back  to  the 
men,  who  kept  up  an  incessant  shouting,  singing,  and 
piping ;  then  looked  at  her  young  one,  and  ran  after  it, 
sometimes  sideways,  as  if  her  feelings  Avere  divided 
between  anxiety  to  protect  her  offspring  and  desire  to 
revenge  the  temerity  of  her  persecutors.  The  men 
kept  about  a  hundred  yards  in  her  rear,  and  some  that 
distance  from  her  flanks,  and  continued  thus  until  she 
was  obliged  to  cross  a  rivulet.  The  time  spent  in 
descending  and  getting  up  the  opposite  bank,  allov/ed 
of  their  coming  up  to  the  edge  and  discharging  their 
spears  at  about  twenty  yards'  distance.  After  the  first 
discharge  she  appeared  with  her  sides  red  with  blood, 
and  beginning  to  flee  for  her  own  life,  seemed  to  think 
no  more  of  her  young. 

*'Ihad  previously  sent  off  Sekweba,  with  orders  to 
spare  the  calf.  He  ran  very  fast,  but  neither  young 
nor  old  ever  •  enter  into  a  gallop.  Their  quickest  pace 
is  only  a  sharp  walk.  Before  Sekweba  could  reach 
them,  the  calf  had  taken  refuge  in  the  water  and  was 
killed.  The  pace  of  the  dam  gradually  became  slower. 
She  turned  with  a  shriek  of  rage,  and  made  a  furious 
charge  back  among  the  men.  They  vanished  at  right 
angles  to  her  course,  or  sideways;  and  as  she  ran 
straight  on,  she  went  through  the  whole  party,  but 
came  near  no  one,  except  a  man  who  wore  a  piece  of 
cloth  on  his    shoulders.      Bright   clothing   is   always 


THE   ELEPHANT.  181 

clangorous  in  these  cases.  She  charged  three  or  four 
times,  and,  except  in  the  first  instance,  never  went 
farther  than  100  yards.  She  often  stood,  after  she 
had  crossed  a  rivulet,  and  faced  the  men,  though 
she  received  fresh  spears.  It  was  by  this  process  of 
spearing  and  loss  of  blood  that  she  was  killed,  for  at 
last,  making  a  short  charge,  she  staggered  round,  and 
sank  down  dead  in  a  kneeling  posture." 

A  traveller  thus  describes  a  regular  battle,  in  which 
500  men  were  engaged : — 

'^  The  forests  here  are  full  of  rough  strong  climbing 
plants,  which  you  will  see  running  up  to  the  tops  of 
the  tallest  trees.  These  vines  they  tear  down,  and 
with  them  ingeniously,  but  with  much  labour,  construct 
a  kind  of  huge  fence  or  obstruction,  not  sufficient  to 
hold  the  elephant,  but  quite  strong  enough  to  check 
him  in  his  flight,  and  entangle  him  in  the  meshes,  till 
the  hunters  can  have  time  to  kill  him.  Once  caught, 
they  quietly  surround  the  huge  beast,  and  put  an  end 
to  his  struggles  by  incessant  discharges  of  their  spears 
or  guns. 

**  Presently  a  kind  of  hunting-horn  was  sounded, 
and  the  charge  began.  Parties  were  stationed  at 
different  parts  of  the  barrier,  or  tangle  as  we  will  call 
it,  which  had  an  astonishing  extent,  and  must  have 
cost  much  toil  to  make.  Others  stole  through  the 
woods  in  silence  and  looked  for  their  prey. 


182  THE   ELEPHANT. 

*^When  they  find  an  elephant,  they  approach  very 
carefully.  The  ohject  is  to  scare  him,  and  make  him 
run  towards  some  part  of  the  barrier,  generally  not 
far  off.  To  accomplish  this,  they  often  crawl  at  their 
full  length  along  the  ground,  just  like  snakes,  and  with 
astonishing  swiftness. 

**  The  first  idea  of  the  animal  is  flight.  He  rushes 
ahead  almost  blindly,  but  is  brought  up  by  the  barrier 
of  vines.  Enraged  and  still  more  terrified,  he  tears 
everything  with  his  trunk  and  feet,  but  in  vain  ;  and 
the  more  he  labours,  the  more  fatally  he  is  held. 

*' Meantime,  at  the  first  rush  of  the  elephant,  the 
natives  crowd  round,  and  while  he  is  struggling  in 
their  toils  they  are  plying  him  with  spears,  often  from 
trees,  till  the  poor  wounded  beast  looks  like  a  huge 
porcupine.  The  spearing  does  not  cease  till  they  have 
killed  their  prey. 

'^To-day  we  killed  four  elephants  in  this  way.  The 
elephants  about  here  have  the  reputation  of  holding 
man  in  slight  fear,  and  tho  approach  and  attack  are 
work  for  the  greatest  courage  and  presence  of  mind. 
Even  then  fatal  accidents  occur. 

**  To-day  a  man  was  killed.  I  was  not  present  at  the 
accident,  but  he  seems  to  have  lost  his  presence  of 
mind,  and  when  the  elephant  charged  with  great  fury 
at  a  crowd  of  assailants,  he  was  caught,  and  instantly 
trampled  under  foot." 


THE   ELEPHANT,  •  183 

XI. 

Hunting  with  the  gun,  notwithstanding  the  supe- 
riority of  the  weapon,  is  full  of  peril.  This  may  be 
judged  of  by  the  situation  in  which  Le  Vaillant  found 
himself  on  the  occasion  of  his  first  elephant  hunt. 

The  animal  had  received  fifteen  shots,  and  he  was 
thoroughly  enraged;  he  had  led  the  hunters  into 
brushwood,  interspersed  with  the  dead  trunks  of  fallen 
trees.  The  elephant,  at  twenty-five  yards  from  our 
traveller,  charged  him.  He  ran  away,  the  beast  at 
every  instant  gaining  on  the  man. 

^^More  dead  than  alive,  it  only  remained  for  me  to 
lie  down  flat  behind  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree.  I  had 
scarcely  got  there  when  the  animal  arrived,  leaned 
over  the  obstacle,  and,  himself  frightened  by  the  noise 
of  my  people  which  he  heard  before  him,  stood  to 
listen. 

*'  From  the  place  where  I  was  hidden  I  might  have 
shot  him.  Fortunately  my  gun  was  loaded,  but  the 
beast  had  already  received  uselessly  so  many  shots, 
and  presenting  himself  to  me  in  such  an  unfavour- 
able position,  that,  despairing  of  bringing  him  down 
at  one  shot,  I  remained  motionless  waiting  my  fate. 
I  watched  him,  nevertheless,  resolved  to  sell  my  life 
dearly  if  I  saw  him  come  back  to  me.  My  people, 
uneasy  for  their  master,  shouted  for  me  on  all  sides.   I 


184  *  THE   ELEPHANT. 

was  careful  not  to  reply,  and  they,  convinced  by  my 
silence  that  they  had  lost  their  master,  redoubled  their 
cries,  and  came  back  in  despair.  The  elephant, 
frightened,  returned  immediately,  and  leaped  a  second 
time  over  the  trunk  of  the  tree,  at  six  yards  from  me, 
without  seeing  me  :  then  springing  to  my  feet,  burn- 
ing with  impatience,  and  wishing  to  give  to  my  Hot- 
tentots some  sign  of  life,  I  sent  the  contents  of  my 
gun  into  his  posteriors.  He  immediately  disappeared 
from  my  sight,  leaving  everywhere  on  his  path  sure 
signs  of  the  cruel  state  in  which  we  had  placed 
him.'' 

Pursued  by  an  elephant,  on  the  shores  of  the  Zouga, 
Mr.  Oswell  fell  from  his  horse  into  the  midst  of  a 
thicket ;  he  fell  with  his  face  turned  towards  the  ele- 
phant, which  was  approaching,  and  could  see  the  enor- 
mous foot  of  the  beast  about  to  fall  on  his  limbs.  He 
moved  them,  holding  his  breath,  and  expecting  to  be 
crushed  by  the  hind-feet.  Tlie  animal  passed  on  with- 
out seeing  or  touching  him. 

Two  colonists,  having  perceived  an  elephant,  resolved 
to  pursue  him.  Far  from  being  clever  in  this  chase, 
it  was  the  first  time  they  had  seen  an  animal  of  that 
species.  The  horses  were  as  little  experienced  as  their 
masters.  Nevertheless,  they  did  not  evade  the  attack. 
They  approached  to  within  sixty  yards  of  the  elephant 
without  his   appearing  to   take   any  notice   of  them. 


THE   ELEPHANT.  185 

Then  he  moved  away,  without  much  haste,  doubling 
the  distance  between  them. 

One  of  the  farmers  descended  from  his  horse,  and 
falling  on  one  knee,  and  fixing  in  the  ground  his 
musket-standj  he  fired. 

Scarcely  had  he  time  to  remount  and  turn  his  horse, 
when  the  colossal  beast  was  on  his  track,  uttering  such 
a  shrill  cry  that  it  seemed  to  pierce  the  hunter  to  the 
very  marrow  of  his  bones.  Happily  he  had  presence  of 
mind  to  turn  towards  a  rising  ground,  the  climbing 
of  which  slackened  the  pace  of  the  elephant. .  The 
other  hunter  seized  the  moment,  dismounted,  and 
fired,  then  sprang  on  his  saddle  again,  and  spurred  off 
with  both  heels,  having  now  the  terrible  game  behind 
him  :  the  tactics  which  had  succeeded  with  his  com- 
rade saved  him.  The  elephant  did  not  fall  until  ho 
had  received  the  eighth  ball. 

Another  colonist,  Claas  Volk,  being  hidden  behind 
a  clump  of  prickly  shrubs,  flattered  himself  that  he 
should  surprise  an  elephant.  The  animal  scented  him, 
struck  him  down  with  his  trunk,  and  trampled  him 
underneath  his  feet. 

A  band  of  hunters  had  surprised  two  elephants,  the 
one  a  male,  the  other  a  female,  in  the  open  plain.  Not 
far  off  were  some  thick  and  prickly  bushes :  the 
animals  fled  towards  the  thicket,  and  the  male  was 
soon  under  cover,  but  the  female,  having  been  wounded, 


186  THE   ELEPHANT. 

could  not  fly  with  the  same  rapidity.  The  hunters, 
cutting  off  her  retreat,  prepared  to  kill  her,  when  sud- 
denly the  male,  rushing  with  fury  from  his  retreat, 
and  uttering  frightful  cries,  threw  himself  upon  them. 
His  aspect  at  this  moment  was  so  terrible  that  all  the 
hunters,  leaping  on  their  horses,  fled  to  save  their  lives 
— all  except  Cobus  Klopper,  who  had  wounded  the 
female,  and  who,  standing  up  with  the  bridle  of  his 
horse  passed  over  his  arm,  was  reloading  his  gun  at 
the  moment  when  the  furious  animal  came  out  of  the 
wood.  The  elephant  rushed  upon  him,  driving  his 
ivory  tusks  into  the  body  of  the  poor  fellow ;  he  after- 
wards trampled  him  beneath  his  feet,  then  lifting  him 
from  the  ground  with  his  trunk,  he  threw  him  to  a 
great  height.  Having  satiated  his  vengeance  he  re- 
turned towards  the  female,  caressed  her  affectionately 
with  his  trunk,  helped  her  to  rise,  sustained  with  his 
shoulder  her  wounded  side,  and,  without  paying  any 
attention  to  the  shots  which  the  hunters  fired  from  a 
distance,  he  soon  disappeared  with  her  in  the  impene- 
trable retreats  of  the  forest. 

Karol  Krieger  was  an  indefatigable  and  bold  hunter. 
He  shot  with  much  address,  and  often  found  himself 
in  very  dangerous  situations.  Once,  with  his  com- 
panions, he  pursued  a  wounded  elephant ;  the  animal 
suddenly  turned  round,  seized  him  with  his  trunk, 
threw  him  into  the  air,  and  trampled  him  under  his 


THE   ELEPHANT.  187 

feet.  The  others,  struck  with  horror,  fled  without 
daring  to  look  upon  the  scene  of  this  frightful 
tragedy. 

They  came  the  following  day  to  perform  the  last 
duties  to  their  companion.  The  elephant  had  torn  the 
body  into  pieces  and  strewed  the  fragments  in  the 
dust :  they  could  only  give  burial  to  the  scattered 
remains. 


XII. 

Cooper  Eose,  in  his  travels,  one  day  met  with  a 
strange  hunter ;  he  was  a  little  meagre  and  vivacious 
man,  whose  sun-burnt  figure  and  piercing  eye  denoted 
his  hazardous  profession.  His  manners  were  frank  and 
bold.  His  eye  shone  under  his  peasant's  hat;  his 
powder-horn  hung  from  a  large  black  leathern  belt, 
which  also  supported  his  bag  net ;  he  rode  a  small  and 
very  spirited  horse,  and  was  followed  by  nine  dogs  of 
diflferent  breeds. 

The  country  which  they  had  traversed  was  entirely 
wild,  elephants  alone  had  made  the  paths.  Men  came 
there  for  the  first  time,  and  it  was  to  destroy. 

They  followed  in  silence  the  paths  of  the  elephants, 
over  the  mountains  and  into  the  ravines.  Cooper  Kose, 
little   used   to   march    thus,   began    to    find    himself 


.188  THE   ELEPHANT. 

fatigued.  **  We  shall  soon  be  near  the  elephants," 
said  the  strange  hunter,  ^^and  then  we  can  sit  down 
and  ivatch  them."  They  marched  thus  for  a  part  of 
the  day,  v/hen  the  guide,  looking  towards  a  small  hill 
a  long  way  off,  announced  that  a  herd  of  elephants 
was  there  feeding.  The  company  took  courage,  and 
with  new  vigour  set  off  on  their  march.  A  straight 
path  conducted  th-em  very  near  to  the  place  where  the 
animals  were  feeding.  The  guide  stopped  ;  the  hunter 
gave  to  his  companions  some  lighted  torches,  and 
assigned  to  them  the  places  where  they  should  set  fire 
to  the  bushes  and  the  grass,  in  order  to  insure  their 
retreat  if  by  chance  the  elephants  should  show  fight. 
They  were  browsing  in  full  security,  flapping  their 
cheeks  with  their  large  ears,  and  enjoying  their  pasture 
with  soft  indolence.  At  the  moment  shots  were  heard, 
and  an  elephant  fell,  the  herd  had  taken  flight ;  they 
ran  with  the  rapidity  of  which  they  are  capable,  upset- 
ting every  obstacle,  breaking  large  trees  like  young 
shrubs.  The  following  day  they  discovered  nine  or 
ten.  The  bushes  prevented  their  being  distinctly  seen, 
but  they  heard  them  browsing.  Guns  were  fired,  and  a 
fearful  noise  announced  the  flight  of  the  animals,  of 
v/hich  three  fell  mortally  wounded.  They  were  small, 
the  largest  not  being  more  than  three  feet  high,  Eose 
made  the  observation  that,  considering  the  frequency  of 
the  tracks  which  they  had  met  with,  the  country  ought 


THE   ELEPHANT.  189 

to  aLouncl  with  elephants.  The  hunter  told  him  that 
he  was  not  deceived ;  that  three  years  before  he  had 
met  with  more  than  three  thousand  on  the  banks  of 
the  river,  but  that  since  that  time  an  immense  number 
had  been  destroyed. 

Our  traveller,  who  delighted  in  this  life  of  adven- 
ture, W'as  astonished  to  hear  the  hunter  express  how 
much  he  desired  to  quit  this  wandering  existence,  apd 
to  establish  himself  quietly  on  his  farm. 

"I  should  have  thought,"  said  Eose  to  him,  "that 
a  peaceable  life  w^ould  appear  very  monotonous  to  you 
after  so  many  daily  emotions."  ''No,  truly,"  replied 
the  hunter;  *'I  have  a  wife  and  little  children,  and  I 
have  been  constrained  to  do  this  by  necessity  and  by  the 
debts  which  I  have  to  pay :  soon  all  these  difficulties 
will  be  surmounted.  In  the  space  of  twenty  months  I 
have  killed  eight  hundred  elephants.  Four  hundred 
have  been  brought  down  by  the  good  gun  which  I  still 
carry,  but  it  will  be  with  great  pleasure  that  I  shall 
cease  to  make  use  of  it.  How  could  I  count  the  num- 
ber of  times  when  the  elephants,  seeking  to  take  ven- 
geance on  me,  have  found  themselves  within  a  step  of 
the  place  where  I  w^as  crouching  ?  One  day  I  had 
just  fired  into  a  numerous  group ;  the  sound  was 
repeated  by  the  echo  and  deceived  the-  elephants, 
whi  ch  flying  in  the  opposite  direction,  passed  into  the 
bush  where  my  Hottentots  and  I  were  concealed     The 


190  THE   ELEPHANT. 

most  intrepid  hunter  succumbs  at  last.  Not  long 
since,  pursued  by  a  rhinoceros,  I  was  about  to  leap 
down  a  precipice,  of  the  depth  of  which  I  was  ignorant. 
No,  sir,  this  life  of  dangers  is  not  desirable.  Would 
you  believe  that  one  day,  not  having  any  food,  I  was 
obliged  to  eat  the  leather  of  my  shoes  ?" 


CHAPTER  Xin, 

t  (Sl^pfjani  (continued.) 

The  Eoyal  Elephant  Hunt  at  the  Knysna. 

[As  an  appropriate  conclusion,  we  have  ventured  to 
quote  from  The  Ti^^ies'  correspondent  tlie  last  recorded 
elephant  hunt  in  which  H.E.H.  the  Duke  of  Edinburgh 
performed  the  most  prominent  part. — Translator.] 

As  soon  as  it  had  become  known  that  His  Royal 
Highness  had  arrived  in  Simon's  Bay,  all  the  principal 
places  of  the  colony  became  anxious  to  receive  a  visit 
from  him.  In  a  happy  hour  the  people  of  the  Knysna 
also  sent  him  an  invitation,  and,  as  an  inducement  to 
him  to  accept  it,  promised,  if  he  came,  to  provide  him 
with  amusement  after  their  own  fashion.  In  every 
quarter  the  Duke  can  find  grand  dinners  and  grand 
balls  and  suppers;  but  a  dance  on  the  green  sward, 
with  an  elephant  for  a  partner,  is  what  but  few  places 
in  the  world  can  afford.  Therefore,  in  the  afternoon 
of  Saturday  the  7th  of  September,  His  Royal  Highness, 
accompanied  by  the  Governor  and  some  other  gentle- 
men, went  on  board  the  war-vessel  Racoon,  in  Simon's 


192  THE   ELEPHANT. 

Bay,  and  steamed  down  the  coast,  arriving  off  the 
Knysna  Heads  on  Monday  morning.  As  the  Racoon 
draws  too  much  water  to  permit  her  to  cross  the  bar, 
the  Dake  and  his  companions  transhipped  themselves 
to  the  Petrel,  which  entered  the  river  at  noon.  That 
morning  great  numbers  had  come  in  from  the  country, 
so  that  the  place  was  crowded  with  people.  About 
one  o'clock  the  Duke  landed,  and  was  received  on  the 
jetty  by  the  authorities.  He  then  mounted  a  horse, 
and  with  a  large  escort,  amid  cheering  and  firing  of 
guns,  rode  into  the  village,  which  was  handsomely 
decorated  with  flags  and  arches.  At  one  of  these  the 
usual  loyal  address  was  presented,  and  then  the  Duke 
and  his  companions  retired  to  the  house  that  had 
been  prepared  for  their  accommodation.  That  night 
the  village  was  illuminated,  and  bonfires  blazed  on  the 
surrounding  hills,  for  the  people  of  the  Knysna  felt 
proud  and  honoured  by  the  Duke's  visit,  and  did 
everything  in  their  power  to  give  him  a  suitable 
reception. 

The  next  morning,  Tuesday  the  10th  of  September, 
was  very  fine  at  the  Knysna,  and  shortly  after  sun- 
rise a  goodly  cavalcade  of  some  forty  horsemen,  with 
His  Koyal  Highness  at  their  head,  and  attended  by 
seven  bullock-waggons,  started  for  elephant  shooting 
at  Middle  Erf,  which  is  about  a  good  hour's  ride  from 
the  village.     There  one   of  the  scouts   met   us  with 


THE  EOYAL  ELEPHANT  HUNT  AT  THE  KNYSNA.   193 

the  information  that  the  old  bull  elephant,  which 
the  Duke  was  desirous  of  shooting,  had  left  that 
quarter  only  the  night  before.  They  had  that  morning 
traced  him  from  his  usual  haunts  into  the  great  forest, 
so  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  rightabout  face,  and, 
with  left  shoulders  forward,  we  abandoned  the  road 
we  had  come  and  dashed  across  the  country.  In  less 
than  an  hour  we  came  again  on  the  new  road  at  the 
entrance  to  the  forest,  where,  as  soon  as  the  waggons 
arrived,  we  camped  near  a  pretty  stream  and  had 
breakfast.  At  this  place  we  remained  about  an  hour, 
and  then  proceeded  for  ten  miles,  with  the  forest 
bordering  the  road  all  the  way  on  either  hand. 
Forest,  forest,  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  nothing 
but  forest.  It  was  really  a  fine  ride,  and  afforded  very 
great  enjoyment  to  all  the  party  not  accustomed  to 
such  scenery.  Then  we  arrived  at  the  former  convict 
station,  called  Yzen  Nek,  where  there  is  now  a  road- 
side hotel,  at  which  we  halted  and  got  some  forage 
for  our  horses.  After  a  considerable  delay  we  started 
again,  leaving  the  forest  behind  us,  only  patches  of  it 
being  seen  in  the  ravines  here  and  there  as  we  rode 
along.  It  is  about  four  miles  from  Yzen  Nek  to 
Buffers  Nek,  which  is  a  very  elevated  site,  and  from 
which  there  is  a  splendid  view  of  mountain  scenery. 
Arrived  at  Buffers  Nek  and  the  waggons  having  come 
up,  the  camp  was  pitched,  and  *'  all  went  merry  as  a 

o 


194  THE  ELEPHANT. 

marriage  bell,"  but  unfortunately,  about  nine  o'clock, 
it  began  to  rain  heavily,  accompanied  with  a  strong 
wind.  All  who  were  under  canvas  made  it  out  pretty 
well,  but  those  who  had  to  rough  it,  with  mother 
earth  for  a  bed  and  little  beside  the  canopy  of  heaven 
for  a  blanket,  had  a  hard  time  of  it.  Some  crept 
under  the  waggons,  in  the  hope  of  finding  that 
shelter  which  they  sought  in  vain,  w^hile  others  sat 
cowering  over  the  fires,  shivering  from  the  cold  and 
wishing  for  daylight,  with  nothing  but  a  blanket  or  an 
extra  coat  thrown  over  their  shoulders  to  protect  them 
from  the  pelting  storm.  The  poor  horses,  too,  suffered 
a  good  deal,  for  they  were  tied  up  at  sunset  in  the 
open  air,  and  with  but  a  very  scanty  allowance  of 
forage  to  appease  their  hunger.  But  a  stormy  night, 
like  every  other  trouble,  must  come  to  an  end  at  last, 
and  at  the  very  first  peep  of  early  dawn  the  camp 
was  astir.  All  were  in  good  spirits,  notwithstanding 
the  discomfort  many  of  us  had  undergone;  but  the 
rain  still  continued  at  intervals,  and  therefore  it  was 
past  noon  before  the  horses  were  saddled  and  we  made 
a  start.  After  riding  for  more  than  an  hour  along 
a  high  ridge,  one  of  the  scouts  came  up  to  say  that 
eleven  elephants  were  grazing  in  the  valley  at  a  short 
distance,  and  on  advancing  a  little  farther  we  saw  them 
very  distinctly.  A  messenger  was  now  sent  back  to 
the  Governor^  who  was  a  considerable  way  behind,  to 


THE  ROYAL  ELEPHANT   HX3NT  AT   THE   KNYSNA*      195 

tell  him  to  hasten  up,  for  the  Duke  was  anxious  that 
his  Excellency  should  enjoy  the  sight,  and  certainly  it 
was  a  sight  in  every  way  worth  enjoying. 

There  we  sat,  high  up  on  the  ridge,  with  the  valley 
helow  us,  in  which  the  elephants  were  quietly  grazing 
and  little  dreaming  that  enemies  were  near,  while  on 
the  further  side  of  the  valley  the  scenery  was  splendid, 
mountain  upon  mountain,  in  every  conceivable  shape, 
stretching  away  before  us  to  the  verge  of  the  horizon. 
It  was  truly  a  noble  prospect,  and  no  doubt  Mr. 
Brierley,  the  Duke's  artist,  will  do  it  justice.  The 
Governor  having  come  up,  and  a  considerable  time 
having  been  spent  in  watching  the  elephants,  the 
Duke  made  a  move,  and,  followed  by  the  hunters, 
descended  into  the  valley.  Here  the  party  separated, 
the  Duke,  escorted  by  a  few  specially  selected  men, 
under  the  command  of  Mr.  George  Eex,  taking  the 
direction  which  was  considered  most  likely  to  bring 
him  near  the  elephants,  while  the  others  placed  them- 
selves in  such  spots  as  they  thought  would  enable 
them  also  to  get  a  shot.  But  things  did  not  turn  out 
according  to  our  wishes,  for,  after  spending  more 
than  an  hour  in  vain  attempts  to  find  the  elephants, 
which  were  now  hidden  from  view  by  the  bush,  the 
Duke  did  not  obtain  a  sight  of  them  until  they  had 
got  to  the  farther  side  of  a  broad  and  deep  ravine, 
and  he  was  therefore  compelled  to  fire  at  a  long  range. 


196  THE   ELEPHANT. 

He  discliarged  six  shots,  all  of  whicli  took  efiect;,  and 
then  the  others  also  blazed  away ;  but  though  three 
elephants  were  wounded,  and  two  of  them  very 
severely,  they  managed  to  effect  their  escape.  It  was 
thought,  however,  that  they  were  not  far  off,  and 
therefore  young  Atkinson,  who  was  one  of  the  Duke's 
personal  escort,  entered  the  bush  alone,  which  was  a 
service  of  no  little  danger,  to  ascertain  if  they  ^vero 
to  be  found ;  but  it  was  all  to  no  purpose,  and  so,  as  it 
was  then  getting  dark,  there  was  nothing  for  it  but 
to  retrace  our  steps  to  the  camp.  As  we  continued  to 
wend  our  way  back,  we  found  the  vast  difference 
between  the  same  path  by  day  and  the  same  path  by 
night.  In  the  morning,  when  we  were  fresh  for  the 
work  before  us,  and  elated  with  the  prospect  of  a  good 
day's  sport,  we  thought  nothing  of  the  rugged  hillside 
track,  with  its  ups  and  downs,  and  fords  and  swamps, 
but  the  same  track  proved  very  miserable  when  we 
were  hungry,  weary,  and  exhausted.  All,  too,  felt  dis- 
appointment more  or  less,  because  things  had  not 
turned  out  according  to  our  hopes ;  but,  notwithstand- 
ing that,  the  Duke  was  greatly  pleased.  He  had  seen 
the  elephants,  and  proved  himself  to  be  a  crack  shot, 
and  he  declared  that,  if  nothing  more  was  to  come  of 
his  hunting,  he  would  still  derive  the  highest  gratifica- 
tion from  his  visit.  That  night  there  was  a  little  rain 
and  a  cold  cutting  wind,  but  nothing  like  what  there 


THE  ROYAL  ELEPHANT  HUNT  AT  THE  K^YSNA.   197 

was  the  night  before,  so  those  who  had  to  rough  it  in 
the  open  air  managed  to  get  some  repose.  The  camp, 
as  usual,  was  astir  at  peep  of  day  next  morning,  and 
the  scouts  and  hunters  made  a  start  to  look  for  the 
elephants  that  had  been  wounded  the  da}^  before,  but 
the  Duke  did  not  join  their  party.  He  kept  about  the 
camp,  merely  going  a  short  distance  alone  with  a  light 
gun  to  get  a  shot  at  small  birds.  The  others  who  did 
not  accompany  the  hunters  amused  themselves  as  they 
best  could.  The  Governor  wrote  letters,  Mr.  Brierly 
made  some  sketches,  and  the  officers  of  the  Petrel 
(with  the  exception  of  Captain  Gordon,  who  had  gone 
after  the  elephants)  took  their  guns  and  crossed  to  the 
opposite  hill  to  try  and  shoot  bucks;  but  on  the 
whole,  some  of  us  that  day  found  it  rather  slow  work. 
In  the  evening  the  scouts  and  hunters  returned 
without  having  seen  anything  of  the  elephants,  and 
therefore  the  Duke,  whose  time  was  limited,  as  he  had 
arranged  to  leave  the  Knysna  on  Saturday,  determinecl 
to  return  to  Middle  Erf  in  the  morning,  and  make 
another  attempt  to  shoot  the  old  bull.  That  night  there 
was  no  rain,  but  we  had  a  repetition  of  a  strong,  cold, 
and  biting  blast,  only  it  was  from  another  quarter ; 
and,  indeed,  Buffcl's  Nek  is  so  elevated  and  exposed  to 
the  west  and  east  that  I  much  doubt  whether  it  would 
be  possible  to  find  any  night  in  the  year  there  without 
the  same  annoyance.     The  next  morning  tlierc  was  a 


198  THE   ELEPHANT. 

new  arrival  in  the  camp,  who  had  ridden  through  from 
.  the  Knysna  during  the  night  to  inform  the  Duke  that 
some  of  the  scouts  had  seen  the  elephants  the  previous 
evening  on  the  edge  of  a  detached  piece  of  forest, 
which  is  situated  on  Middle  Erf.  This  news  confirmed 
the  Duke  in  his  determination  to  leave  Buff  el's  Nek, 
and  it  was  therefore  yet  very  early  when  word  was 
passed  along  to  saddle  up  and  mount.  Prior  to  start- 
ing we  had  nothing  but  coffee,  for  we  expected  to  make 
a  halt  at  the  other  side  of  the  forest,  and  have  some- 
thing to  eat  on  the  same  spot  where  we  had  previously 
breakfasted.  .  That  hope,  however,  we  were  not 
destined  to  realize,  for  we  were  still  a  couple  of  miles 
from  where  we  proposed  to  saddle  off,  when  a  scout 
came  galloping  up  to  let  the  Duke  know  that  it  was 
hardly  an  hour  since  he  had  seen  the  elephants  at 
Middle  Erf.  Of  course  there  was  then  an  end  of  all 
thoughts  of  breakfast,  necessary  though  it  was — for 
who  would  delay  for  such  a  purpose  with,  it  might  be 
said,  the  game  in  view  ?  On,  therefore,  we  dashed ; 
but,  prior  to  entering  on  the  final  act  of  the  drama, 
permit  me  to  say  a  few  words  descriptive  of  the  site 
of  the  Duke's  exploit.  Middle  Erf  forest,  then, 
which  will  be  famous  in  the  annals  of  the  Knysna  for 
all  time  to  come,  crowns  the  summit  of  a  gentle  hill, 
within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  public  road  leading  to 
Plettenberg's   Bay,      It  is   not  more  than  a  mile  in 


THE  ROYAL  ELEPHAKT  HUNT  AT  THE  KNYSNA.   199 

circumference,  and  stands  completely  detached  from 
the  great  forest,  which  is  about  six  hundred  yards 
distant  at  the  nearest  point.  It  is  admirably  situated 
for  holding  an  elephant  at  br.y;  and,  in  fact,  if  the 
Duke  had  had  the  choice  of  every  part  of  the  colony, 
he  could  not  have  selected  a  spot  better  adapted  for 
his  purpose.  As  soon  as  we  reached  Middle  Erf, 
straps  were  put  on  the  dogs,  and  they  were  held  fast ; 
for  the  Duke  intended  to  stalk  the  elephants  if  he 
should  still  find  them  in  the  open  country;  but  on 
reconnoitering  he  could  see  nothing  of  them,  and 
therefore  the  dogs  were  turned  loose  again,  while  most 
of  the  hunters  were  directed  to  go  to  the  rear  of  the 
detached  piece  of  forest  and  drive  the  elephants  out 
of  the  north  side,  where  the  Duke  and  his  personal 
escort  were  stationed.  Presently  one  elephant  showed 
himself  at  the  Duke's  side,  trumpeting  and  fighting 
with  the  dogs.  This  elephant  disappeared  and  came 
in  view  again  half-a-dozen  times,  on  two  of  which  he 
raised  his  head  and  held  up  his  trunk  perpendicularly, 
as  if  trying  to  discover  by  that  means  what  chance  ho 
had  of  making  his  escape.  He  evidently  wanted  tp 
break  covert,  but  hesitated  to  do  so  from  seeing  tne 
Duke  and  his  party,  who  had  stationed  themselves 
directly  across  the  path  usually  taken  by  the  elephants 
in  passing  from  Middle  Erf  to  the  great  forest.  The 
Duke  had  been  hitherto  standin^:  about  three  hundred 


200  TUB   ELEPHANT. 

yards  from  the  edge  of  the  detached  loieco  of  forest,  but 
he  and  his  escort  now  decided  to  advance  within  close 
range  and  fire  at  the  elej^hant  the  next  time  he  made 
his  appearance.  An  advance  was  accordingly  made  by 
the  party,  but,  to  their  surprise,  no  elephant  or  dogs 
w^ere  then  to  be  seen.  All  had  become  suddenly  quiet 
at  that  side,  and  it  was  very  evident,  from  the  direction 
in  which  their  barking  was  heard,  that  the  dogs  had 
gone  towards  the  rear.  The  fact  is,  there  were  three 
elephants  afoot,  and  the  particular  one  which  had 
appeared  repeatedly  to  the  Duke  and  his  party  had 
managed  to  elude  the  dogs  and  conceal  himself  from 
view.  Mr.  George  Rex,  the  captain  of  the  hunt,  now 
called  to  a.  boy  at  a  little  distance,  and  told  him  to 
mount  his  horse  and  ride  to  ascertain  what  was  going 
on  in  the  rear.  It  is  right,  however,  here  to  remark 
that  Middle  Erf  is  intersected  by  a  narrow  road, 
each  side  of  which  is  thickly  overgrown  with  fine  bush. 
Along  this  road  the  boy  had  to  proceed,  but  he  had 
not  gone  far  into  the  fine  bush  when  we  saw  him 
returning  at  full  speed  with  the  elephant  after  him  in 
hot  pursuit.  The  monster,  which  has  great  speed 
when  he  chooses  to  use  it,  was  evidently  gaining  on 
the  horse,  while  the  boy,  calling  out  in  Dutch,  ^*  Fire, 
fire!  for  God's  sake  fire,  or  I  shall  be  killed!"  rode 
for  protection  towards  the  Duke's  party,  and  galloped 
round  their  flank.     Upon  that  the  elephant   did  not 


THE  ROyAL  ELEPHA^'T  HUNT  AT  THE  KNYSNA.   201 

slacken  his  pace,  but  with  ears  and  tail  erect  he 
rushed  on  right  in  the  direction  of  the  Duke,  who  was 
standing  in  the  centre  of  his  line.  'Jhere  was  something  . 
very  peculiar  in  the  way  the  elephant  advanced.  It 
did  not  look  like  either  a  trot  or  a  gallop,  but  more 
resembled  the  gliding  motion  of  a  ship  in  smooth 
v>'ater,  as  if  the  immense  monster  were  bearing  down 
under  a  press  of  sail  before  the  wind.  It  has  been 
put  into  the  Cape  papers  that  the  Duke  w^ent  on  ^ 
his  knee  to  fire,  but  nothing  of  the  kind  occurred. 
He  coolly  took  his  large  gun  from  the  hand  of  young 
Atkinson,  who  had  been  carrying  it  for  him,  and 
did  not  pull  a  trigger  until  the  elephant  was  within 
less  than  twenty  yards.  He  then  discharged  both 
barrels  in  quick  succession,  sending  one  bullet  into 
the  animal's  head  just  above  the  right  eye,  and  then 
hitting  him  with  the  second  bullet  a  little  lower 
down,  between  the  trunk  and  the  root  of  the  right 
tusk.  No  one  could  possibly  have  been  more  steady 
and  deliberate  than  the  Duke  was  ^/hen  he  fired, 
and  it  was  fortunate  for  himself  that  he  was  able  to 
display  such  pluck ;  for  he  allowed  the  elephant  to  get 
so  close,  that  if  he  had  been  at  all  nervous,  and  his  aim 
less  sure,  his  own  life  and  the  lives  of  some  of  those  at 
his  side  would  inevitably  have  been  sacrificed.  As 
soon  as  the  elephant  received  the  Duke's  two  bullets 
he  stopped  in  his  career,  shook  his  head,  and  reeled 


202  THE  ELEPHANT. 

round,  presenting  his  broadside;  he  then  staggered 
a  few  yards  further,  and  when  he  was  in  the  act  of 
falHng,  some  of  the  others  fired;  but  these  shots 
were  superfluous,  for  the  Duke  had  given  the  poor 
brute  his  quietus,  and  he  would  have  died  on  the 
spot  if  not  a  second  gun  had  been  discharged.  On 
either  hand  of  the  Duke  on  this  occasion  stood  the 
five  good  men  and  true  who  were  his  personal 
escort  throughout  the  whole  hunt — Messrs.  G.  and 
T.  Eex,  A.  H.  and  J.  Duthie,  and  G.  R.  Atkinson. 
Besides  these  there  were  on  the  spot  Sir  W.  Currie, 
General  Bisset,  Captain  Gordon  of  the  Petrel,  and 
Captain  Taylor.  The  Duke's  own  man^  Smith — his 
fidus  Achates,  who  is  ahvays  near  his  master — was 
also  present.  The  Governor  and  some  others,  who  had 
been  watching  what  took  place  from  a  hill  at  a  little 
distance,  now  galloped  up,  and  every  one  congra- 
tulated  the  Duko  on  his  success.  His  escort  then 
assisted  him  to  get  on  the  top  of  the  elephant, 
where  he  stood,  while  all  gave  three  lusty  cheers, 
which  were  taken  up  by  the  hunters  at  the  rear. 
The  Duke  then  took  off  his  jacket,  and  began  skin- 
ning the  elephant,  in  which  all  present  joined. 
Meantime  the  officers  of  the  Petrel  and  some  others 
went  to  the  rear,  where  the  hunters  had  got  a 
second  elephant  at  bay,  which  was  despatched  after 
receiving  not    less  than    forty    shots.      Around  this 


THE  ROYAL  ELEPHANT  HUNT  AT  THE  KNYSNA.  203 

second  elephant,  after  the  first  one  had  been  skinned, 
the  Duke,  who  had  the  necessary  apparatus  with  him, 
placed  his  personal  escort,  and  took  a  photograph  of 
the  group,  which,  it  is  to  be  regretted,  was  afterwards 
found  to  be  a  failure.  He  then  sat  upon  the  elephant, 
with  Mr.  G.  Eex  beside  him,  and  the.y  had  theii:  pho- 
tographs taken,  but  that  did  not  turn  out  more  suc- 
cessful. Before  the  elephants  were  skinned  the  Duke 
measured  them  both,  and  they  were  found  to  be 
just  the  same  size — interesting  twins,  perhaps,  who 
were  wandering  from  forest  to  forest  to  complete 
their  education.  Their  measurement  was  ten  feet  in 
height,  twenty-four  feet  from  the  tip  of  the  trunk  to 
the  tip  of  the  tail,  and  seventeen  feet  round  the 
body.  Whatever  one  may  think  of  the  elephant 
when  ranging  at  large  in  his  native  wilds — and  he 
is  then  certainly  a  noble-looking  object — there  can 
be  no  more  ugly  animal  when  dead;  but  his  flesh, 
if  he  is  in  condition,  is  good  eating,  as  I  can 
testify  from  experience. 

The  Duke  passed  that  night  a  short  distance  from 
Middle  Erf,  where  the  camp  had  been  pitched,  and 
the  next  morning  rode  into  the  village  before  noon, 
escorted  by  the  hunters  and  a  number  of  other 
horsemen.  Shortly  afterwards  the  waggons  came  in 
with  the  heads  and  skins  of  the  elephants,  and  the 
whole  place   crowded  round  to  have   a   sight.     The 


204  THE   ELEPHANT. 

Duke  walked  about  biglily  eko-ted,  and  evidently 
pleased  that  his  trophies  attracted  so  much  notice. 
x\bout  one  o'clock  he  started  to  go  on  board  the 
Petrel,  a  great  many  accompanying  him  to  the  jetty. 
Here  he  took  a  warm  farewell  of  those  with  whom 
he  had  become  personally  acquainted.  As  he  shook 
hands  with  the  Messi's.  Eex,  Duthies,  and  G.  E. 
Atkinson,  he  thanked  them  in  the  kindest  manner 
for  having  exerted  themselves  so  much  to  render 
his  hunt  successful.  He  then  got  into  the  boat  and 
was  pulled  off  to  the  Petrel,  which  in  about  an  hour 
afterwards  steamed  out  to  sea,  amid  the  mingled 
cheers  and  regrets  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Knysna. 

Before  leaving  the  village  the  Duke  gave  a  liberal 
gratuity  to  each  of  the  scouts,  and  after  his  arrival 
in  Cape  Town  he  forwarded  presents  to  those  who 
had  been  his  personal  escort.  To  one  of  them,  who 
acted,  as  captain  of  the  hunt,  he  sent  a  handsome 
gold  watch,  and  the  others  received  valuable  rings, 
which  they  will  always  highly  prize  on  account  of 
the  donor. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
I. 

A  VOLUMINOUS  massive  body  mounted  on  tall  legs  of 
four  feet  or  more,  and  carrying  a  neck  as  long  as 
its  legs ;  a  very  small  head  and  very  large  feet  ; 
great  floating  feathers ;  a  tail  in  the  form  of  a  plume — 
such  are,  in  the  physiognomy  of  the  ostrich,  the  traits 
which,  even  at  a  distance,  the  least  attentive  look 
embraces. 

Approaching  nearer,  one  sees  that  the  head  is  bald 
and  flat ;  the  eye  large  and  bright ;  the  beak  short, 
blunt,  and  depressed ;  the  neck  slender,  covered  with 
grey  down ;  that  the  feathers  which  cover  the  body 
are  large,  soft,  half  curled,  and  glossy,  of  a  magni- 
ficent colour  and  brilliancy  in  the  male ;  the  wings 
themselves,  composed  of  feathers  with  flexible  stems, 
are  out  of  all  proportion  with  the  dimensions  of  the 
animal :  they  evidently  cannot  serve  them  for  flying, 
and  they  seem  to  be  there  only  as  a  kind  of  apology. 
If  we  examine  one  of  these  feathers,  we  discover,  in 


206  THE   OSTRICH. 

fact,  that  the  barbules  do  not  adhere  together,  as  is 
the  case  with  ahuost  all  other  birds. 

No  sooner  does  the  ostrich  begin  to  walk,  than 
wo  are  struck  with  the  suppleness  of  his  body;  his 
long  neck  balances  itself  gracefully,  his  trunk  takes 
a  kind  of  pitching  motion,  his  stumps  of  Vv^ings 
open  as  if  to  catch  the  wind;  and  the  ease  of  his 
march,  the  elasticity  of  his  step,  the  extent  and 
quickness  of  his  strides,  soon  teach  us  that  he  is  as 
generously  endowed  as  a  terrestrial,  as  he  is  deprived 
as  an  aerial  animal.  Besides,  every  one  knows  that 
the  ostrich  is  one  of  the  swiftest  pedestrians  that 
exist,  perhaps  the  swiftest,  for  if,  when  he  is  hunted, 
he  had  sense  enough  to  direct  his  flight  in  a  straight 
line,  the  best  horse  would  be  incapable  of  running 
him  down. 


II. 

One  can  understand  that  such  a  singular  animal  has 
given  rise  to  many  fables.  *'  There  is  scarcely  any 
subject  of  natural  history  about  which  more  absurdities 
have  been  spoken,"  writes  BufFon.  The  Arabs  believe 
the  ostrich  to  be  the  issue  of  a  camel  and  a  bird ; 
Suidas  gave  him  the  neck  and  feet  of  a  donkey; 
G.  Warren  made  an  aquatic  bird  of  him ;  others 
assure   us   that   he   never   drinks.      Leon   L'Africain 


THE    OSTRICH.  207 

refuses  him  the  sense  of  hearing.  It  has  been  said 
that  he  feeds  principally  on  stones,  wood,  and  iron. 
Aldrovande  represents  him  enjoying  a  horse-shoe ;  it 
has  even  been  pretended  that  he  would  swallow  red- 
hot  coals.  Marmol,  in  his  *' Description  de  I'Afrique," 
says  that  he  digests  red-hot  iron.  "I  would  not 
deny,"  writes  Buffon,  "  that  they  migiit  sometimes 
even  swallow  red-hot  iron,  provided  it  was  in  very 
small  quantities,  but  I  do  not  think  that  even  that 
could  be  done  with  impunity."  They  have  been  called 
the  worst  of  mothers:  Strutliio  dura  est  in  pullos 
suos  quasi  non  sint  sui. 

They  have  been  denied  all  intelligence,  even  to  the 
extent  of  being  too  stupid  to  seek  their  safety  by 
flight;  ^' and,"  says  Belon,  *^if  by  chance  it  finds  a 
bush,  they  say  that  it  is  such  a  foolish  bird,  that 
in  hiding  its  head  therein  it  imagines  its  whole 
body  to  be  safe."  Belon  had  taken  that  from  Pliny; 
Kolbe  repeats  it  in  his  '^Description  du  Cap  de  Bonne 
Esperance."  A  stone  extracted  from  its  stomach  pro- 
cures good  digestion  to  him  who  hangs  it  round 
his  neck.  But  enough  of  fiction ;  let  us  now  go  to 
facts. 


III. 

The    ostrich  has  the  sense  of  sight  very  fully  deve- 
loped.    It   can   see,   it  is   said,    six  miles.     It  hears 


208  THE   OSTEICH. 

equally  well,  and  can  never  be  approacliecl  except  by 
surprise. 

It  is  quite  otherwise  with  its  sense  of  taste  ;  and 
the  want  of  nicety  in  this  sense,  joined  to  the 
voracity  and  to  the  instinct  common  among  birds, 
which  leads  it  to  introduce  hard  substances  into  its 
stomach,  to  augment  the  strength  of  trituration  of 
that  organ^  causes  it,  in  captivity  at  least,  to  swallow 
vv^ithout  discernment  all  objects,  whatever  they  may 
be,  which  are  presented  to  it,  or  which  come  within 
reach  of  its  beak.  Wood,  bone,  stones,  metals,  glass, 
paper,  pieces  of  money^  nails — all  are  good  for  it. 
As  soon  as  it  is  seized,  the  object  is  forced  down 
the  throat  by  a  backward  movement. 

M.  Henri  Aucapitaine  reports  that  the  JBurecm  des 
Affaires  Puhliqiies,  at  Cherchell,  possessed  an  ostrich 
penned  in  one  of  the  interior  courts.  "Every  even- 
ing," says  he,  "  we  amused  ourselves  by  feeding  him 
with  old  papers,  envelopes,  and  pieces  of  news- 
papers, which  he  swallowed  greedily,  and  with  evident 
gusto." 

The  traveller  Eichardson  saw  an  ostrich  in  ah 
African  village,  where  it  wandered  about  in  full 
liberty,  gathering  up  everything,  like  a  ragman. 

MM.  Verreaux  relate,  that  at  the  Cape,  one 
of  the  ostriches  which  they  possessed  swallowed, 
one  after    the  other,   a  large  piece  of  soap  and  a 


THE    OSTRICH.  209 

copper  candlestick,  wliich  latter  was  some  time  after- 
wards ejected  quite  flattened. 

Ostriches  were  being  exhibited  at  St.  Quentin. 
One  gentleman,  on  whose  breast  shone  a  beautiful 
gold  chain,  having  approached  within  reach  of  the 
beak  of  one  of  these  birds,  saw,  in  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye,  his  chain  and  watch  pass  from  the  neck 
and  pocket  of  their  proprietor,  into  the  stomach  of 
the  gluttonous  animal. 

An  ostrich  preserved  in  the  Museum  of  Natural 
History  had  in  its  body,  when  it  died,  about  a  pound 
of  stones,  pieces  of  iron  and  copper,  and  half-worn 
coins.  Vallisnieri  dissected  one  of  these  animals, 
and  here  is  the  inventory  of  the  objects  which  he 
found  there  :  cords,  stones,  glass,  iron,  copper, 
pewter,  and  above  all  a  lump  of  lead,  the  last  thing 
swallowed,  and  which  did  not  weigh  less  than  a 
pound.  One  individual,  opened  by  Perrault,  had 
swallowed  seventy  pieces  of  copper  money,  already 
reduced  to  three-fourths  by  their  sojourn  in  the  robust 
organ  which  contained  them.  Perrault  attributed  their 
wear  to  a  mechanical  action.  Vallisnieri,  on  the  con- 
trary, without  excluding  the  action  of  friction,  saw 
there  also  a  particular  chemical  action.  This  is  the 
true  opinion.  Cuvier  confirms  it  in  these  words : — 
"The  bits  of  iron  found  in  the  stomach" — speaking 
of  an  ostrich  which  had  lived  in  a  menagerie — ^'  were 

P 


210  THE    OSTRICH. 

not  only  worn  as  they  would  have  been  by  trituration 
with  other  hard  bodies,  but  they  had  evidently  been 
corroded  by  some  juice,  which  could  be  seen  above 
all  by  the  inequality  of  the  chinks  which  had  been 
produced.  The  fragments  of  nails  presented  all 
the  appearance   of  true  corrosion." 

Most  frequently  these  errors  of  regime  have  no 
serious  inconvenience.  One  ostrich  had  a  nail  im- 
planted in  the  inner  sides  of  the  gizzard ;  another  had 
two  nails  lodged  in  the  t])ick  part  of  the  mesentery 
(where  they  could  only  have  reached  by -perforating  the 
stomach),  and  they  had  caused  a  very  hard  greenish 
concretion,  with  which  they  were  entirely  coated.  Nei- 
ther of  these  animals  appeared'  iu  the  least  unwell. 
But  it  often  happens  to  those  in  captivity  to  become 
the  victims  of  their  avidity.  One  ostrich  is  mentioned 
which  died  from  having  swallowed  a  large  quantity  of 
quick-lime.  The  menagerie  of  Paris  possessed,  twelve 
3'ears  since,  a  magnificent  couple,  which  it  was  hoped 
would  breed ;  but  a  stone  having  fallen  on  the  glass 
roof  of  the  den,  the  male  and  female  hastened  to  swal- 
low the  broken  glass,  which  lacerated  their  entrails. 
In  the  same  establishment  an  ostrich  succumbed,  after 
thirty-four  days,  to  an  attack  of  indigestion,  caused  by 
a  dose  of  a  pound  and  a  half  of  nails.  Dr.  Berg  men- 
tions one  which  was  killed  by  swallowing  an  enormous 
shop-key. 


THE    OSTRICH.  211 


IV. 


Grass  is  their  favourite  nourishment,  as  well  in  the 
wild  state  as  in  captivity;  but  to  the  aromatic  and  salty 
vegetation  of  the  desert  they  constantly  add  molluscs, 
insects,  and  reptiles.  A  report  addressed  by  Laghouat 
to  the  Socicte  cV Acclimatation  states  that  they  eat  rats, 
jerboas,  serpents,  lizards,  and  slugs;  he  adds,  that 
they  are  very  fond  of  grasshoppers  at  the  Cape.  The 
ostriches  bred  by  the  farmers  sometimes  swallow  the 
chickens.  M.  Aucapitaine  reports  that  molluscs  formed 
the  favourite  food  of  the  ostrich  before  referred  to. 

The  Arabs  say  that  the  ostrich  kills  the  viper  with  a 
blow  of  its  beak,  and  eats  it.  It  eats  also  serpents, 
insects,  grasshoppers,  scorpions,  lizards,  large  fruits 
called  liaclj,  abounding  in  the  desert,  and  proceeding 
from  a  creeping  plant,  bitter  as  turpentine,  with  leaves 
like  those  of  the  water-melon.  As  soon  as  they  come 
out  of  the  egg  the  young  ostriches  begin  to  seek  insects 
and  small  reptiles,  and  it  appears  that  they  feed  them- 
selves exclusively. 

It  is  agreed  that  ostriches  support  long  fasts,  which 
must  be  the  case,  for  the  desert  can  only  have  for  its 
inhabitants  beings  inured  to  all  privations ;  but  it  is 
not  so  well  agreed  as  to  the  limit  of  time  during  which 
they  can  remain  without  food.  It  would  seem  probable 
that    the    limit  varies   according  to  times  and   places 

p  2 


212  THE    OSTRICH. 

(it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  ostrich  is  nomadic), 
and  also  whether  the  animal  is  free,  tame,  or  captive. 

If  we  examine  the  reports  sent  to  the  Zoological 
Society  from  different  parts  of  Africa,  and  collected  with 
talent  by  M.  Gosse,  of  Geneva,  we  are  at  first  struck 
by  seeing  these  reports  differing  often  in  the  most  nota- 
ble manner  on  almost  all  points.  As  to  the  regime  of 
the  ostrich,  its  character,  its  conjugal  manners,  the  con- 
struction of  its  nest ;  of  the  period  of  laying,  the  num- 
ber of  eggs,  their  arrangement,  the  duration  and  tho 
circumstances  of  incubation  ;  the  numeric  proportion 
of  the  sexes;  of  the  manner  in  which  the  ostrich  is 
affected  by  the  changes  of  time,  or  of  the  duration  of  its 
life,  these  reports  are  quite  contradictory  of  each  other. 
But  most  frequently  the  contradiction  is  but  apparent ; 
and  on  a  little  reflection  one  is  convinced  that,  apart 
from  some  badly  observed  facts  and  some  individual 
cases  maladroitly  generalized,  the  numerous  divergen- 
ces of  the  reports  simply  attest  changes  to  which,  in 
order  to  accommodate  itself  to  the  variations  of  time  and 
place,  the  ostrich  in  its  peregrinations  is  constraiiii^d 
to  conform  its  habits ,-  so  that,  in  fact,  far  from  contra- 
dicting, these  reports  really  agree  with  each  other.  It 
is  simply  this,  that  the  habits  of  a  wandering  species 
have  not  in  all  their  details  an  absolutely  fixed  charac- 
ter. A  crowd  of  special  cases  depart  from  the  rule, 
this  departure  being  confined  within  certain  limits,  at 


THE    OSTRICH.  218 

least  for  long  periods  of  time.  In  a  word,  in  tliis 
matter  our  formulas  have  but  the  value  of  means. 

Ostriches  support  thirst  perfectly,  but  nothing  is 
more  false  than  to  say  that  they  never  drink. 

The  Arabs  say  that  they  drink  a  little  every  day 
when  there  is  any  water  to  be  had.  Messieurs 
Verreaux  have  seen  them  drinking  in  the  Elephant 
River. 

General  Daumas  reports  that  he  has  known  them 
make  many  days'  journey  in  search  of ^  water.  It 
is  said  that  those  which  have  been  deprived  of 
water  for  a  long  time  show  extraordinary  joy  at  the 
approach  of  a  storm.  They  are  then  seen  running 
about  in  every  direction,  with  their  wings  extended, 
turning  themselves  about,  and  at  last  rushing  off  in 
the  direction  of  the  lightning. 

They  bathe,  always  taking  care  to  choose  water 
sufficiently  shallow,  so  that  when  they  sit  down  their 
heads  may  still  be  above  water;  but  they  cannot 
swim.  An  English  traveller  in  South  Africa,  Mr. 
Gordon  Gumming,  says  that  they  are  exceedingly 
fond  of  salt.  Barley  is  the  food  which  those  seem 
to  prefer  which  the  Arabs  do  not  send  out  into  the 
pasture  fields. 


214  THE    OSTRICH, 

V. 

The  muscular  strength  of  the  ostrich  is  extraordi- 
nary. '*In  the  desert,"  says  M.  Daumas,  '*it  has 
no  other  enemy  to  fear  but  man.  It  resists  the 
dog,  the  jackal,  the  hyaena,  and  the  eagle  :  man  alone 
triumphs  over  it.'* 

Livingstone  remarks  that  he  saw  one,  pursued  by 
dogs,  break  the  spine  of  the  one  nearest  to  it  with 
a  blow  of  •its  foot.  M.  Edouard  Yerreaux  saw  a 
negro  die  from  a  blow  received  in  the  stomach 
from  the  foot  of  an  ostrich.  An  Arab  hunter,  of 
whom  more  presently,  narrowly  escaped  a  similar 
fate. 

No  better  idea  of  its  strength  can  be  given  than 
the  fact  of  its  having  been  employed  for  riding 
from  the  remotest  period.  Mounted  ostriches  figured 
in  the  Roman  circus. 

A  certain  tyrant  of  Egypt,  named  Firmin,  employed 
them  for  his  use ;  and  the  natives  of  Africa  often 
do  the  same. 

*^  One  sees  at  the  Cape,"  says  Sparrman,  "in  the 
Government  menagerie,  several  tame  ostriches.  These 
easily  allow  themselves  to  be  mounted  by  those  who 
wish  to  make  the  attempt." 

We  read  that  an  English  traveller,  Mr.  Moore, 
encountered  in  the   Sahara  an  Arab  mounted  on  an 


THE    OSTRICH.  215 

ostrich  crossing  the  desert.  He  took  the  bird  to 
Fatatenda,  whence  M.  Connor  sent  him  to  the 
Governor  of  Jamesfort,  on  the.  Gambia. 

Examples  are  abundant.  We  will  only  stop  to 
relate  that  cited  by  Adanson,  the  truth  of  which  is 
above  suspicion. 

'*  The  same  day  two  ostriches,  which  had  been 
kept  for  about  two  years  in  this  district  (Podor), 
gave  me  a  spectacle  which  is  too  rare  not  to  merit 
being  reported. 

*^  These  gigantic  birds,  which  I  had  never  seen 
except  in  the  burning  and  sandy  country  on  the 
left  of  the  Niger,  I  saw  there  at  my  ease.  Though 
still  young,  these  ostriches  almost  equalled  in  size 
the  largest.  They  were  so  tame  that  two  little 
negroes  mounted  together  the  larger  of  the  two; 
this  one  no  sooner  felt  their  weight  than  it  started 
off  full  speed,  and  carried  them  several  times  round 
the  village;  and  it  seemed  only  possible  to  stop  it^ 
by  barring  the  passage.  This  trial  pleased  me  so 
much  that  I  wished  to  have  it  repeated ;  and  in 
order  to  try  their  strength  I  mounted  a  full-grown 
negro  on  the  smallest,  and  two  others  on  the  largest. 
This  load  did  not  ^eem  disproportioned  to  their 
vigour.  At  first  they  started  off  at  a  cautious  canter, 
but  presently,  when  they  had  got  excited,  they 
spread  their  wings,  as  if  to  catch  the  wind,  and  went 


216  THE    OSTrtlCH. 

off  at  such  a  speed  that  they  seemed  scarcely  to 
jouch  the  ground. 

''Every  one  has  seen  a  partridge  runnmg,  and  knows 
that  no  man  is  capahle  of  catching  it ;  and  it  is  not 
difficult  to  imagine  that  if  it  had  a  greater  stride  its 
speed  would  be  considerably  augmented. 

*'  The  ostrich  runs  like  the  partridge,  and  I  am 
persuaded  that  they  could  leave  far  behind  them 
the  swiftest  English  horse  that  could  be  put  in 
pursuit  of  them.  It  is  true  they  could  not  keep  up 
as  long  a  race  as  the  horses,  but  undoubtedly  they 
would  accomplish  a  short  one  more  quickly.  I  have 
been  many  times  witness  of  this  spectacle,  which 
should  give  some  idea  of  the  prodigious  strength 
of  the  ostrich,  and  the  use  which  could  be  made 
of  it  if  means  could  be  found  of  mastering  and 
instructing  it  as  horses  are  taught." 

The  largest  of  these  two  ostriches  must  then  have 
carried  upwards  of  300  pounds  weight  without 
apparent   inconvenience. 

M.  Edouard  Verreaux  relates,  on  the  contrary,  that 
having  mounted  a  captive  ostrich  in  a  shed,  the  bird 
had  the  greatest  difficulty  in  carrying  him.  But  this 
experience  by  no  means  invalidates  contrary  testi- 
mony. M.  Gosse  makes  the  reasonable  observation 
that  this  faculty  which  the  ostrich  possesses  of  carrying 
weights  so  disproportioned  to  the  size  of  its  body,  is 


THE    OSTRICH.  217 

doubtless  due  to  a  physiological  phenomenon,  which  is 
common  to  birds  which  rise  into  the  air,  viz.,  that 
not  only  are  the  greater  part  of  its  bones  vacuous,  and 
in  direct  communication  with  the  lungs,  but  the  bird 
can  also  at  will  fill  with  warm  air  many  membranous 
reservoirs,  which  are  found  near  the  wings,  under  the 
stomach,  and  around  the  thighs — veritable  air  balloons, 
which  lighten  the  weight  borne  by  the  legs.  When  it 
is  not  racing  or  otherwise  excited,  these  sacks  are  not 
inflated,  and  consequently  the  ostrich  cannot  support 
so  considerable  a  weight. 


VI. 

Th^  speed  of  the  animal  does  not  yield  to  its  strength, 
Cuvier  says  that  it  surpasses  that  of  all  known 
animals.  ''It  is  such,"  adds  he,  *'that  those  who 
mount  the  ostrich  without  having  become  accustomed 
to  it,  are  soon  suffocated,  not  being  able  to  get  their 
breath."  This  nearly  happened  to  an  inhabitant  of 
Paris,  M.  Notre,  who  being  at  Marseilles  in  the 
year  1819,  then  weighing  1401bs.,  mounted  a  male 
Egyptian  ostrich  of  large  size.  It  took  him  such  an 
astounding  race,  that  he  contemplates  it  even  to  this 
day  with  affright.  Happily,  he  clung  tightly  round  the 
neck  of  the  bird,  which  at  last  stopped  in  some  brush- 


218  THE    OSTRICH. 

wood.  Adanson  says  that  the  two  ostriches  of  which 
we  have  before  spoken,  although  they  had  not  attained 
all  the  strength  which  age  and  liberty  would  have  given 
them,  and  although  laden  with  a  considerable  weight, 
*Svould  have  left  far  behind  them  the  swiftest 
English  horse  that  could  have  been  sent  in  pursuit 
of  them.'* 

*'Lhave  seen  them,"  says  Sparrman,  "sometimes 
within  two  gun-shots  of  me,  and  I  have  started  in 
pursuit,  but  always  without  success." 

Xenophon  relates  that  the  cavaliers  of  Cyrus  were 
not  more  happy.  Livingstone  says  that  one  can  no 
more  distinguish  the  legs  of  an  ostrich  when  at  its  full 
speed,  than  one  can  see  the  spokes  of  the  wheels  of  a 
carriage  driven  at  full  gallop ;  and  he  estimates  that 
the  bird  can  make  twenty-seven  miles  an  hour. 


VII. 

The  ostrich  shines  less  in  point  of  intelligence ;  but 
it  by  no  means  merits  the  reputation  for  stupidity 
which  authors  vie  with  each  other  in  making  for  it. 
It  is  a  gentle  bird,  gay,  pacific,  vigilant,  eminently 
sociable,  and  not  wanting,  whatever  may  be  said,  in 
any  of  the  family  instincts. 

Gumming    one    day    surprised    a    flock   of    twelve 


THE   OSTRICH.  219 

ostriches,  which  were  no  larger  than  guineafowls. 
**  The  mother,"  says  he,  '^  sought  to  deceive  us  after 
the  manner  of  the  wild  duck.  She  started  oS,  ex- 
tending her  wings,  then  let  herself  fall  to  the  ground 
as  though  she  were  wounded;  whilst  the  male  cun- 
ningly departed  with  the  little  ones  in  an  opposite 
direction." 

Livingstone  frequently  mentions  young  coveys  going 
under  the  conduct  of  a  male,  which  endeavoured  to 
appear  lame,  in  order  to  turn  upon  himself  the 
attention  of  the  hunters. 

We  read  in  the  Clievaux  die  Sahara  that  when  the 
hunters  catch  up  the  young  ones,  in  sight  of  the  male, 
he  becomes  excessively  agitated  and  manifests  the  most 
vivid  grief ;  but  he  does  not  give  himself  up  to  moan- 
ing.    He  is  not  wanting  in  courage. 

Here  is  an  instance  which  proves  it.  It  is  related  in 
a  report,  addressed  from  Geryville  to  the  Zoological 
Society  (Paris).  "  Si-Djelloul-Ben-Hamza,  and  his  bro- 
ther Si-Mohammed-Ben-Hamza,  one  day,  whilst  hunt- 
ing the  ostrich,  came  upon  the  track  of  a  whole  family, 
conducted  by  one  male  and  two  females.  Si-Moham- 
med, having  come  first  in  sight  of  the  ostriches,  fired 
and  wounded  one  of  the  females.  The  male  then 
rushed  at  him,  and  struck  the  horse  on  the  chest  with 
his  leg,  on  which  the  latter  threw  his  rider  and  fled. 
The  ostrich  then  turned  its  blows  against  Si-Moham- 


220  THE    OSTRICH. 

med,  and  only  left  him,  deprived  of  consciousness, 
on  seeing  Si-Djelloul  coming  to  the  assistance  of  his 
brother." 

'^Whilst  riding  out  one  morning,"  says  Thunberg, 
who  was  then  at  the  Cape,  ^^I  passed  near  to  a  female 
ostrich,  which  was  brooding ;  she  rose,  and  started  in 
pursuit  of  me,  in  order  to  prevent  my  seeing  her  eggs, 
or  young  ones.  As  soon  as  I  turned  my  horse's  head 
round  she  fled,  but  when  I  continued  my  journey  she 
commenced  again  to  pursue  me. " 

The  excessive  timidity  with  which  they  are  re- 
proached is  but  the  result  of  the  incessant  hunting  to 
which  they  are  subjected.  Those  kept  in  captivity  are 
not  in  the  slightest  degree  timid,  nor  are  those  which 
have  no  know^ledge  of  man. 

Kichardson  relates,  that  having  reached  the  plateau 
of  Hamala,  where  the  ostriches  have  not  been  dis- 
turbed, he  had  -the  grand  sight  of  a  flock  of  eleven 
of  these  birds  feeding  tranquilly  like  sheep,  without 
showing  any  disposition  to  fly. 

I  have  said  that  they  are  very  sociable.  A  flock  of 
from  two  to  three  hundred  has  occasionally  been  met 
with  in*  the  desert,  mingling  with  giraffes,  cougas, 
zebras,  and  antelopes.  This  sociability  renders  it  an 
easy  matter  to  tame  them. 

''Young  ostriches  are  easily  tamed,"  says  General 
Daumas;  "they  play  with  the  children,  and  sleep  in 


THE    OSTRICH.  221 

tlio  tent.  When  removing,  they  follow  the  camels; 
there  is  no  example  of  one  of  these  thus  trained  ever 
taking  flight.  They  are  very  gay,  they  frolic  with 
the  horsemen,  clogs,  &;c.  Should  a  hare  start  up,  all 
the  people  are  off  in  pursuit ;  and  the  ostrich  becomes 
excited,  and  takes  part  in  the  chase.  When  it  meets 
a  child  having  any  food  in  its  hand,  ib  quietly  throws 
the  child  on  the  ground,  and  tries  to  take  away  what- 
ever it  was  carrying.  The  ostrich  is  a  great  thief, 
or  rather  it  wants  to  swallow  whatever  it  sees.  The 
Arabs  are  very  watchful  of  it  when  they  are  counting 
their  money.  It  would  soon  cause  the  disappearance 
of  a  few  dollars." 

It  is  by  no  means  rare  to  see  a  tired  child,  at  a 
short  distance  from  the  douar,  placed  on  the  back  of 
an  ostrich,  which  with  its  little  load  directs  its  steps 
straight  to  the  tent,  the  little  cavalier  holding  on  by 
the  feathers.  On  journeys,  when  it  is  wished  to  pre- 
vent its  running  to  right  or  left,  a  cord  is  passed  round 
its  legs,  and  it  is  held  by  another  cord  attached  to 
this   one. 

In  the  Senaar  country,  they  are  bred  in  the  same 
way  as  poultry  is  bred  elsewhere. 

According  to  Dr.  Berg,  in  many  black  villages  on  the 
banks  of  the  Senegal,  and  in  most  of  the  camps  of  the 
Maures,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  one  ostrich 
at  least  is  counted  among  their  indispensables.     Thcso 


222  THE    OSTRICH. 

birds  are  not  intended  as  objects  of  commerce ;  they 
never  kill  them ;  they  form,  in  fact,  part  of  the  tribe, 
or  of  the  village. 

Sometimes  they  are  hatched  in  the  tent  by  artificial 
means. 

As  soon  as  they  are  six  months  old,  no  further 
trouble  is  taken  with  them,  and  they  go  to  seek 
nourishment  in  the  neighbouring  pastures,  taking  care, 
however,  always  to  find  themselves  close  to  the  tent 
at  meal  times.  The  farmers  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  Cape  allow  them  to  feed  in  their  fields,  and  they 
never  attempt  to  fly. 

Amongst  the  ahiades  of  the  Sahara,  flocks  of  twenty 
or  thirty  individuals  follow  the  cattle  to  the  pastures, 
and  return  with  them  every  evening.  One  traveller 
saw  at  Esne  some  ostriches  belonging  to  the  Gover- 
nor promenading  freely  in  the  town,  visiting  the 
markets  and  returning  to  the  palace  in  the  evening. 

This  attachment  and  obedience  is  obtained  by 
treating  the  ostrich  with  kindness.  It  is  necessary  to 
caress  them  often  when  they  are  young,  to  be  careful 
not  to  frighten  them,  and  never  to  be  sharp  with  them. 
It  has  been  stated  that  ostriches  which  have  been 
given  away  and  taken  a  very  long  distance  from  their 
»  domicile,  have  returned  to  their  first  master. 

'^I  find  them,"  says  M.  Bouteille,  director  of  the 
Zoological  Gardens  at  Grenoble,  **more  susceptible  of 


THE    OSTRICH.  223 

attacliment  than  most  of  our  domestic  animals.  They 
allow  themselves  to  be  touched  and  caressed  by  the 
persons  who  have  the  care  of  them,  and  they  appear 
quite  sensible  of  the  pleasure.  I  can  take  our  young 
ostriches  into  my  hands  and  carry  them  away,  without 
the  parents  making  the  least  hostile  demonstration, 
whilst  the  sight  alone  of  a  strange  man  or  animal  is 
sufficient  to  put  them  in  a  fury;  then  they  set  up 
their  feathers  and  lower  their  heads,  like  hens  defend- 
ing their  brood.** 


CHAPTER  XV. 

®Ij^  ©^kixlj    {continued). 

VIII. 

During  tlie  period  of  laying,  this  pacific  humour,  with 
the  male  at  least,  gives  place  to  a  violent  character. 
The  males  are  then  said  to  exhibit  such  rage  that  it  is 
difficult  to  approach  them;  and  sometimes  even  their 
masters  have  been  obliged  to  defend  themselves  against 
them  with  stones,  clubs,  and  even  guns.  North  of 
the  equator  the  laying  season  begins  towards  the  end  of 
autumn,  and  continues  until  spring.  Its  period  and 
duration  depend  on  the  degree  of  fertility  of  the  year ; 
but  in  any  case  it  takes  up  a  large  share  of  the  lifo 
of  an  ostrich.  The  Arabs  say  even  that  if  food  is 
abundant  this  troubled  period  is  prolonged  through  a 
great  portion  of  the  year.  It  is  then  that  the  male 
takes  that  roseate  tint  on  his  legs  and  neck,  which  is 
caused  by  the  activity  acquired  by  circulation ;  he  puts 
himself  in  pursuit  of  the  female,  and  closing  his  beak 
and  drawing  up  his  neck,  the  top  of  which  is  prodi- 
giously dilated,  he  gives  utterance  to  repeated  hoarse 


THE    OSTRICH.  225 

guttural  cries,  which  so  much  resemble  the  roaring  of  a 
lion,  though  more  feeble,  that  the  Hottentots  are  some- 
times deceived ;  and  one  of  the  employes  of  the  mena- 
gerie of  Paris  mistook  it  many  times  in  the  night. 
Mr.  Hardy  confirms  this  fact.  The  female  flies  before 
the  male.  The  pursuit  continues  four  or  five  days, 
during  which  the  male  neither  eats  nor  drinks.  The 
female  does  not  separate  from  the  male,  and  only  quits 
him  when  the  education  of  the  family  is  completed. 


IX. 

Both  sexes  take  part  in  making  the  nest;  some  say 
that  the  nest   is   built   on   flat   ground,  and  in  open 
places,  others  on   ground  a  little   elevated  and   sur- 
rounded.    These    differences    evidently    arise   out    o 
local  conditions. 

The  nest  is  dug  out  of  the  sand  by  the  beak ;  the 
thrown-out  sand  is  disposed  all  round,  forming  a 
projecting  rim ;  on  the  outside  a  trench  is  dug  for 
carrying  off  the  water.  Laying  is  rapid  or  slovv^, 
according  to  the  greater  or  less  abundance  of  food,  and 
even  according  to  its  quality.  All  the  females  of  tho 
same  household  lay  their  eggs  in  the  same  nest. 

One  female  will  lay  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  eggs, 
each  egg  being  equal  in  weight  to   about  twenty-fivo 

Q 


226  THE    OSTRICH. 

hen-eggs.  Besides  the  eggs  sat  upon,  others  are  placed 
outside  of  the  nest,  often  in  little  cavities  dug  out 
specially. 

What  is  their  destination  ?  It  is  a  discovery  of  M. 
Vaillant,  to  whom  we  owe  the  first  exact  ideas  we  have 
had  as  to  the  hahits  of  the  ostrich. 

A  female  had  got  up  about  twenty  yards  from  him : 
**  Suspecting  that  it  was  a  sitter,  I  hastened  to  reach 
the  place  from  which  she  had  risen,  and  I  found  eleven 
eggs,  still  warm,  and  four  others  dispersed  at  tw^o  or 
three  feet  from  the  nest.  I  called  my  companions,  who 
came  up  at  once.  I  broke  one  of  the  eggs,  and  found 
a  young  one  already  formed,  the  size  of  a  chicken, 
ready  to  come  out  of  its  shell.  I  supposed  all  the  eggs 
were  rotten  ;  my  people  thought  very  differently  :  each 
one  hastened  to  fall  on  the  nest ;  but  Amirdo  took 
possession  of  four  others,  desiring  to  give  me  a  feast, 
and  assuring  me  that  I  should  find  them  excellent.  It 
was  then  I  learnt  from  this  savage  that  which  the 
Hottentots  themselves  are  ignorant  of,  and  which  is  not 
known  to  naturalists,  since  no  one  that  I  am  aware  of 
has  spoken  of  it,  and  which  I  have  had  more  than  one 
opportunity  of  verifying,  viz.,  that  the  ostrich  always 
places  within  reach  of  the  nest  a  certain  number  of 
eggs  proportioned  to  those  which  she  destines  for  in- 
cubation. These  eggs  not  being  sat  upon  are  preserved 
fresh  for  a  long  time,  and  the  provident  instinct  of  the 


THE   OSTBICH.  227 

mother  destines  tliem  for  the  first  nourishment  of  those 
which  are  about  to  be  hatched.  Experience  has  con- 
vinced me  of  the  truth  of  this  assertion ;  and  whenever 
I  have  found  the  nests  of  ostriches,  many  eggs  have 
been  found  separated  in  this  way." 

The  information  of  M.  Vaillant  is  confirmed  by 
that  which  Achmet,  quartermaster  of  the  spahis, 
related  to  M.  Aucapitaine  in  1856.  ''  At  the  moment/' 
says  he,  '^when  the  young  are  hatched,  the  mother 
goes  to  seek  one  of  the  supernumerary  eggs,  breaks 
it,  and  makes  the  young  ones  partake  of  the  nourish- 
ment." According  to  other  natives,  she  conducts  her 
young  ones  to  the  nutritious  eggs,  and  makes  them 
open  them.  The  report  sent  from  Geryville  to  the 
Zoological  Society  (Paris),  asserts  beyond  this,  that 
if  the  ostrich  should  break  one  of  the  eggs  on  which 
she  is  sitting,  she  replaces  it  by  one  of  the  outside 
eggs.  Livingstone  says  that,  according  to  the  natives 
of  South  Africa,  the  supernumerary  eggs  are  intended 
for  the  need  of  those  first  hatched,  *'  in  order  that 
they  may  wait  until  the  others  are  hatched,  and  that 
all  may  then  go  together  to  pasture  elsewhere ;  "  an 
explanation  which  has  some  appearance  of  truth,  as 
the  hatching  takes  place  successivel3\ 

Incubation  takes  place  day  and  night,  or  at  night 
only,  according  to  the  degree  of  the  circumambient 
temperature.      The    carcases    of   jackals,    which    are 

Q  2 


228  THE   OSTRICH. 

found  in  the  neighbourliood,  bear  witness  to  the 
vigilance  as  well  as  to  the  strength  of  the  male. 
The  hatching  of  the  young  takes  place  successively, 
as  we  shall  see.  It  is  pretty  generally  agreed  that 
the  number  of  females  is  about  double  that  of  males. 
Their  size  at  the  time  of  hatching  is  about  that  of 
a  small  hen.  It  would  appear  that  they  continue 
with  their  parents  until  they  are  full  grown. 


X. 

uElian  relates  that  the  ostrich  is  hunted  in  two 
ways  : — 

*'  The  ostrich  is  taken  by  running  down.  It  de- 
scribes in  its  flight  an  exterior  circle,  whilst  the 
hunters  close  up  its  route  by  following  it  in  an 
interior  circle,  and  thus,  by  tiring  it  out,  they  at  last 
catch  it. 

*'  The  following  mana3uvre  is  also  employed  in 
taking  it.  "When  it  has  been  discovered  by  a  clever 
man  accustomed  to  this  kind  of  chase,  he  fixes  somiO 
very  sharp-pointed  spears  round  the  nest,  in  a 
vertical  position;  the  steel  shines,  and  the  hunter, 
retired  to  a  distance,  awaits  in  ambush  the  upshot  of 
the  event.  Meanwhile  the  ostrich  returns  from  her 
pasture  full  of  tenderness  for  her  young,  and  burning 
with  the  desire  to  rejoin  them".     At  first  she  examines 


THE    OSTRICH.  229 

here  and  there,  and  casts  her  looks  all  round  for  fear 
that  some  one  should  observe  her ;  at  last,  overcome, 
and  yearning  with  maternal  love,  she  spreads  her 
wings  like  a  sail,  and,  carried  away  in  a  blundering 
,  blind  *  career,  she  rushes  upon  her  '  nest,  but — oh, 
[  touching  specLacle ! — she  encountors  the  spears,  and 
perishes,  pierced  through  and  through.  The  hunter 
then  comes  up  and  takes  the  little  ones  with  their 
mother." 

Let  us  now  pass  on  to  more  positive  facts.  At 
Khartoum,  an  old  negro,  who  in  his  youth  had  been 
one  of  the  most  intrepid  buccaneers  of  the  country, 
thus  described  the  hunt  of  the  ostrich,  as  it  is  now 
practised  by  the  natives  : — - 

''  The  ostrich  is  hunted  on  horseback,  and  the  riders 
are  obliged  to  be  accompanied  by  camels  laden  with 
provisions.  When  one  is  discovered,  they  follow  it 
slowly  without  losing  sight  of  it  :  the  colossal  bird 
is  not  slow  in  leaving  them  far  behind;  but  having 
reached  a  certain  distance,  as  if  to  bid  defiance  to 
the  hunters,  it  stands  and  awaits  them;  when  they 
are  on  the  point  of  coming  up  with  it,  it  starts  off 
on  its  rapid  course,  and  then  again  waits  for  them. 
The  riders  always  follow  it  slowly.  It  is  usually  at 
daybreak  that  the  hunters  commence  the  campaign, 
and  whilst  the  heat  is  not  too  much  felt  the  ostrich 
can,   without   danger,    make   parade    of    its    superior 


230  THE    OSTRICH. 

speed;  nevertheless,  these  repeated  races  fatigue  it 
insensibly,  and  when  the  sun  becomes  more  powerful, 
the  animal,  which  has  already  several  times  renewed 
the  same  plan,  begins  to  exhibit  signs  of  fatigue; 
and  then  the  hunters,  who  have  hitherto  restrained 
their  steeds,  rush  after  it  with  fall  speed,  and  are  not. 
long  in  exhausting  and  overcoming  it.  The  first  of 
the  hunters  that  arrives  within  reach  of  it  deals  it 
a  heavy  blow  with  a  club,  and  fells  it  to  the  ground. 
The  riders  leap  from  their  horses,  and  one  of  them 
cuts  the  animal's  neck,  and  puts  its  foot  in  the 
wound  in  order  to  prevent  its  plumes  being  soiled 
in  the  blood  whilst  it  is  fluttering  about.  "When  the 
bird  has  ceased  to  live  they  despoil  it  of  its  plumage, 
and  if  the  horses  and  provisions  permit,  the  chase  is 
continued.'* 

The  same  method  appears  to  be  in  use  at  the 
Cape,  as  Sparrman  relates: — "I  have  been  told  that 
a  man  mounted  on  the  best  horse  could  never  reach 
the  ostriches  when  they  are  off;  but  the  hunter 
must  nevertheless  continue  his  chase,  taking  care  to 
look  after  his  horse,  and  prevent  him  from  galloping 
too  fast,  whilst  he  can  still  perceive  the  bird  from 
the  summit  of  some  hill.  Then  the  ostrich,  which 
has  descended  it  running,  cools  down  when  it  reaches 
the  bottom,  its  joints  stiffen,  and  it  rarely  fails, 
by   at  least    the   third    race,    in    allowing    itself    to 


THE    OSTRICH.  231 

be  taken,  either  alive  or  by  a  shot  from  the  hunter's 
gun." 

The  Arabs  of  the  Great  Desert  adopt  a  quite 
different  plan.  General  Daumas  has  given  us  on 
this  point,  in  the  '^  Chevaux  du  Sahara,"  details  full 
of  interest,  which  he  obtained  from  a  professional 
hunter.  We  cannot  do  better  than  reproduce  them, 
always  abridging  considerably. 

There  are  in  the  desert  two  methods  of  hunting 
the  ostrich  :  on  horseback,  and  by  watching. 

''The  real  hunt  is  that  on  horseback.  It  is  an 
excursion  which  lasts  for  seven  or  eight  days.  The 
most  favourable  period  is  that  of  great  heat.  A 
dozen  hunters  join  together ;  each  of  them  is  accom- 
panied by  a  servant,  mounted  on  a  camel,  which 
carries  water,  barley  for  the  horses,  wheat  flour, 
dates,  a  saucepan,  and  divers  utensils.  The  horse 
has  undergone  for  seven  or  eight  days  a  special 
training.  The  rider  has  no  other  weapon  than  a  club 
of  wild  olive  or  rosemary,  from  four  to  five  feet  long, 
and  very  heavy  at  one  end. 

"  They  start  in  the  morning,  and  after  one  or  two 
days*  march,  when  they  have  arrived  near  the  place 
where  the  ostriches  have  been  signalled,  and  they 
begin  to  find  traces  of  them,  they  stop  and  encamp. 
The  next  day  two  intelligent  servants,  entirely  naked 
(with  the  exception  of  a  handkerchief,  used  as  drawers), 


232  THE    OSTRICH. 

are  sent  to  reconnoitre.  They  carry  a  goat- skin  full 
of  water  and  a  little  bread,  and  they  walk  on  until 
they  discover  the  ostriches.  As  soon  as  they  have 
perceived  them,  they  lie  down  and  watch  them; 
then  one  of  them  remains,  and  the  other  goes  to 
warn  the  company. 

*'  The  horsemen,  guided  by  the  man,  proceed  slowly 
towards  the  place  where  the  ostriches  are.  .  Arrived 
at  the  last  rising  ground  which  can  conceal  them, 
they  dismount.  Two  scouts  creep  forward  to  assure 
themselves  that  the  birds  are  still  in  the  same 
place.  If  these  confirm  the  first  informants,  each 
one  gives  his  horse  a  drink,  but  moderately,  from 
the  water  carried  on  his  camel's  back.  They  deposit 
all  the  baggage  on  the  spot  where  they  had  stopped, 
and  without  leaving  any  one  in  charge  of  it.  Each 
horseman  carries  a  goat  -  skin  at  his  side.  The 
servants  and  the  camels  follow  in  the  tracks  of  the 
horses ;  each  camel  carries  no  more  than  the  horse's 
barley  supper,  its  own  supper,  and  water  for  the  men 
and  animals. 

'*  The  hunters  then  separate  and  form  a  circle  round 
the  chase  at  a  very  great  distance,  and  in  such  a 
manner  as  not  to  be  perceived.  The  servants  wait 
on  the  spot  where  their  masters  separated  until 
they  see  them  at  their  posts,  then  they  march 
straight   on:    the   ostriches    fly    in    terror,   but   they 


THE    OSTRICH.  233 

encounter  the  horsemen,  who  at  first  only  endeavour 
to  drive  them  back  into  the  circle.  The  ostriches 
thus  begin  to  spend  their  strength  in  a  rapid  race, 
for  as  soon  as  they  are  surprised  they  do  not  husband 
their  breath.  They  several  times  renew  these  man- 
oeuvres, always  seeking  to  get  out  of  the  circle,  and 
always  returning,  frightened  by  the  horsemen.  At 
the  first  signs  of  fatigue  the  hunters  fall  upon  them. 
After  some  time  the  Hock  begins  to  disperse,  and 
to  show  signs  of  weakness  and  lassitude  by  open- 
ing their  wings;  the  horsemen  then,  certain  of  their 
prey,   slacken  their  pace. 

*'  Each  one  chooses  an  ostrich  and  follows  it,  and 
when  he  reaches  it  he  deals  it  a  heavy  blow  on  the 
head,  either  from  behind  or  the  side,  which  fells  it. 
The  rider  then  dismounts  in  order  to  bleed  it,  taking 
care  to  hold  the  throat  away  from  the  body,  so  as  not 
to  soil  the  feathers.  When  the  ostrich  is  on  the  point 
of  being  caught,  it  is  so  fatigued  that,  if  the  hunter 
does  not  wish  to  kill  it,  it  is  a  very  easy  matter  to 
bring  it  back  quietly,  directing  it  with  the  stick;  it  can 
then  scarcely  walk." 

-  The  ostrich  is  taken  by  watching  for  it  when  it  has 
laid  its  eggs,  that  is  about  the  middle  of  the  month  of 
November.  Five  or  six  hunters  take  with  them  two 
camels  laden  with  provisions  for  a  month  at  least,  and 
begin  by  looking  out  for  places  where  water  has  recently 


234  THE    OSTRICH. 

fallen.  They  are  furnished  on  this  occasion  with  guns 
and  an  abundant  supply  of  ammunition.  "When  they 
have  discovered  traces  of  the  ostrich,  the  hunters 
examine  them  carefully ;  if  they  cross  to  and  fro,  and 
the  grass  is  trampled  under  foot  and  not  eaten,  the 
bird  has  for  certain  made  its  nest  in  the  neighbour- 
hood. 

In  the  morning,  whilst  the  female  is  sitting,  the 
hunters  dig  a  hole  on  each  side  of  the  nest,  and  at 
twenty  yards'  distance,  sufficiently  deep  to  contain  a 
man  ;  they  then  cover  it  up  with  the  long  grass,  so 
well  known  in  the  desert,  in  such  a  manner  that  the 
gun  only  shall  appear:  in  these  holes  two  of  the 
best  marksmen  are  lodged. 

At  the  sight  of  this  work  the  frightened  female  runs 
to  rejoin  the  male,  but  he  beats  her  and  forces  her  to 
return  to  her  nest.  If  these  preparations  were  made 
whilst  the  male  is  sitting,  he  would  go  off  in  search 
of  the  female,  and  neither  of  them  would  be  met 
with  again. 

They  are  careful  not  to  disturb  the  returned  female, 
the  rule  being  to  kill  the  male  first ;  they  therefore 
wait  his  return  from  pasture.  Towards  midday  he 
arrives,  and  the  hunter  makes  ready.  The  ostrich 
when  sitting  extends  its  wings  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
cover  all  the  eggs;  in  this  position  it  has  bent  up  its 
extremely  long  legs  under  its  thighs,  a  very  favourable 


THE    OSTRICH.  235 

position  for  the  marksman,  wKo  aims  always  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  break  the  animal's  legs,  for  if  only 
wounded  elsewhere  it  would  still  have  a  chance  of 
making  its  escape.  '*  Immediately  the  ostrich  is 
struck  down,  they  run  up  to  it  and  bleed  it.  The 
marks  of  blood  are  covered  over  with  sand,  the  body 
is  carefully  hidden." 

At  sunset  the  female  returns :  the  absence  of  the 
male  does  not  disquiet  it ;  she  believes  it  to  be  feed- 
ing, and  sits  on  her  nest.  She  is  lulled  by  the  one  of 
the  two  hunters  who  had  not  fired  at  the  male. 

They  also  shoot  the  ostrich  when  it  goes  to  drink. 
The  hunters  simply  make  a  hole  near  the  water,  and 
lie  in  ambush  till  the  animal  comes  to  quench  its 
thirst. 

The  Arabs  of  the  desert  say  of  a  good  thing,  that 
''it  is  like  hunting  the  ostrich." 

Bruce  relates  that  the  Arabs  of  Fazolp  hunt  the 
ostrich  with  dogs ;  they  carry  it  off  dead  or  alive, 
when  the  bird,  which  they  have  pursued  without 
relaxation,  falls  from  sheer  exhaustion. 

On  the  other  extremity  of  Africa  the  bushmen 
have  recourse  to  strategy. 

They  disguise  themselves  as  ostriches.  *'  This  dis- 
guise," says  a  traveller,  "  is  composed  of  a  kind  of 
saddle,  the  lower  part  of  which  is  furnished  with 
ostrich  feathers  in  such  a  manner  as  to  imitate  the 


236  THE    OSTBICH. 

body  of  the  bird,  to  which  is  added  a  head  and 
neck  of  an  ostrich  stuffed  with  straw. 

"  The  hunter  begins  by  painting  his  legs  white  ; 
then  he  places  the  saddle  of  feathers  on  his  shoul- 
ders, and  holding  with  his  right  hand  the  lower  part 
of  the  neck,  in  his  left  he  carries  his  bow  and  poi- 
soned arrows.  *I  have  seen,'  says  our  author,  *  the 
ostrich  so  perfectly  imitated,  that  at  a  few  yards' 
distance  it  was  impossible  to  discover  the  fraud.' 

**  This  human  bird  pretends  to  browse  the  grass, 
turns  his  head  from  side  to  side  with  an  air  of 
intelligence,  shakes  his  feathers,  walks  and  runs 
alternately,  until  he  arrives  within  bow- shot  of  the 
flock;  and  when  the  ostriches  take  flight  on  seeing  one 
of  their  number  struck  by  an  arrow,  he  flies  with 
them.  Sometimes  the  male  ostriches  give  chase  to 
this  singular  bird ;  then  he  manoeuvres  to  avoid 
them,  taking  care  that  they  shall  not  scent  him, 
for  from  the  moment  he  finds  himself  so  placed  as 
to  cross  their  scent,  the  charm  is  broken ;  then  it 
only  remains  for  him  to  throw  away  his  saddle 
and  to  fly  with  all  speed,  in  order  to  avoid  a  wing 
blow,  which  would  knock  him  down  instantly.'* 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

€xotobxhB  inxH  Caiimmis, 

I. — The    Scene   and   the   Actors. 

There  are  three  species  or  sub-species  of  crocodiles ; 
first,  the  cayman,  also  called  the  alligator;  second, 
the  crocodile;    and  third,  the  gavial. 

The  cayman,  or  alligator,  may  be  thus  recognized  : 
when  the  mouth  is  closed  the  fourth  tooth  on  each 
side  of  the  lower  jaw  passes  into  a  hole  in  *  the 
upper  jaw.  \ 

-  In  the  crocodile,  in  place  of  the  hole  just  mentioned 
there  is  only  an  indentation,  so  that  the  fourth 
lower  tooth  remains  visible  when  the  mouth  is 
closed. 

,  Lastly,  in  the  gavial  the  upper  jaw  on  each  side 
is  hollowed,  not  by  a  hole,  as  in  the  cayman,  nor  by 
one  indentation,  as  with  the  crocodile,  but  with  two 
indentations,  in  which  the  first  and  fourth  lower 
teeth  lodge.  Moreover,  the  gavial  has  very  straight 
and  lengthy  jaws,  which  form  a  kind  of  beak,  moro 
or  less  cylindrical. 


238  CROCODILES  AND  CAYMANS. 

Should  you  happen  to  encounter  one  of  the  croco- 
dilian species  on  your  journey,  you  are  now  in  a 
position  to  determine  at  once  to  what  species  your 
friend  belongs,  whether  he  is  a  cayman,  crocodile, 
or  gavial. 

The  caymans  belong  to  America,  gavials  to  Asia, 
and  crocodiles  to  America,  Asia.,  Africa,  and  Oceanica. 

All  are  inhabitants  of  hot  regions,  some  even  are 
found  in  the  hot — almost  boiling — mineral  waters 
of  Florida.  The  greater  part  live  in  the  soft  waters 
of  rivers  and  lakes.  A  small  number  frequent  the 
sea.     Europe  and  Australia*  are  exempt. 


II. — ^Numbers. 


Count  Foebin,  in  his  '^Voyage  a  Siam,"  cays  that 
he  saw  a  great  number  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Bancok. 

*^The  rivers  of  Java,  both  at  their  mouths  and  in 
the  interior,  are  infested,"  says  Thunberg  ('*  Voyages 
en  Japon"),  ''with  crocodiles  of  a  monstrous  size. 
Often  in  my  botanic  excursions  I  saw  them  asleep 
in  the  sun.'* 


*  Alligators  were  found  in  the  river  Burdekin,  North  Aus- 
tralia, by  McKinlay,  some  of  which  were  nearly  twenty  feet 
long. — Translator. 


NUMBERS.  239 

A  recent  account  states  that  the  rivers  and  lakes  of 
Ceylon  are  stocked  with  crocodiles.  Their  hideous 
heads  come  out  of  the  water  ten  or  a  dozen  at  a  time. 
They  are  very  common  in  Jamaica.  La  Condamine 
has  seen  a  multitude  of  caymans  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
feet  long,  and  even  longer,  in  the  Guayaquil;  some 
stretched  on  the  mud  in  the  sun,  others  floating  on 
the  water  like  trunks  of  trees  covered  with  a  knotty 
desiccated  hark.  They  ahound  in  the  Amazon,  in  the 
Oyapoc,  in  the  Bay  de  Vincent  Pincon,  and  in  the  lakes 
of  that  region,  to  such  an  extent  that,  according  to 
Lacepede,  they  impede  by  their  multitude  the  navi- 
gation of  the  boats.  M.  de  la  Borde  relates,  that 
whilst  running  along  the  eastern  shores  of  South 
America  in  a  canoe,  he  encountered  a  dozen  great 
caymans  at  the  mouth  of  a  little  river  which  he 
wished  to  enter.  As  these  animals  were  obstructing 
the  passage,  several  shots  were  fired,  in  the  hope  of 
dispersing  them.  This  was  useless,  and  the  narrator 
was  obliged  to  wait  for  two  hours  before  they  thought 
proper  to  retire. 

Let  us  pass  now  into  Africa.  The  Dutch  traveller 
Hamel  (''Hist.  Gene  des  Voyages")  reports,  that  the 
rivers  of  the  Corea  are  infested  with  crocodiles.  Bosman, 
in  his  ''Description  de  la  Guinee,"  says  that  they  are 
found  in  all  the  rivers  of  that  country,  and  that  he  has 


240  CROCODILES  AND  CAYMANS. 

seen  as  many  as  fifty  in  a  day,  and  some  of  them 
twenty  feet  long.  "  The  crocodile,"  writes  M.  de  Gol- 
berry,  in  his  '*  Fragments  d'un  Voyage  en  Afrique,'* 
*^is  fonnd  in  all  the  rivers  which  empty  into  the  sea 
between  Cape  Blanc  and  Cape  de  Palmes,  and  even 
V  in  a  great  number  of  lagoons."  Adanson  has  seen 
nearly  two  '  hundred  at  one  time  on  the  great  Senegal 
river,  floating  together,  which  might  easily  be 
mistaken  for  the  trunks  of  trees  borne  along  by  the 
stream. 

M.  du  Chaillu  thus  describes  a  scene  presented  to 
him  on  the  Anengue,  a  river  of  the  Gaboon,  at  its 
junction  with  the  Ogabay.  **We  then  entered  the 
Anengae.  Its  surface  was  covered  with  black  mud 
banks,  on  which  swarmed  an  incredible  number  o 
crocodiles.  There  were  many  hundreds  of  these  dis- 
gusting monsters  sunning  themselves  or  wallowing 
in  the  mud,  and  diving  to  the  bottom  of  the  water  in 
S3arch  of  food.  I  have  never  seen  a  more  hideous 
spectacle.  Some  of  them  were  at  least  twenty  feet 
long,  and  when  they  opened  their  horrible  jaws,  one 
might  have  said  that  -they  could  have  swallowed  our 
"^  little  boats  without  any  difficulty." 

Livingstone  has  met  with  them  in  many  of  tho 
rivers  of  South  Africa.  The  quantity  of  them  living 
on  the  Liambye  is  prodigious.     **  Every  instant,"  ho 


NUMBERS.  241 

writes,  "we  see  them  sunning  themselves  on  the 
sand-banks." 

The  traveller  ascending  the  Nile  does  not  encounter 
them  until  he  reaches  Upper  Egypt.  Mr.  Combes 
(*' Voyage  en  Egypte,  en  Nubie,"  &c.)  reports,  that  the 
first  he  met  with  on  his  route  was  found  above  Syout. 
**  I  had  but  just  embarked  when  they  pointed  out  to 
me  a  crocodile  stretched  out  in  the  sun.  He  was,  as 
it  v>^ere,  embedded  in  the  sand,  and  appeared  to  be 
asleep.  Nevertheless,  he  lifted  his  head  at  our  ap- 
proach, and  slipped  slowly  into  the  Nile."  According 
to  the  people  of  the  country,  these  animals  do  not 
pass  below  Said,  because  a  venerable  sheik  had  said, 
*' You  may  come  here,  but  you  must  not  pass  this  bar- 
rier." But  above  this  point  they  rapidly  become  very 
numerous,  as  may  be  judged  by  the  following  little 
picture,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Keneh : — ^' Some  of 
the  palm  trees  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  towil 
were  bending  under  the  weight  of  enormous  crocodiles 
suspended  from  their  branches,  and  swinging  in  the 
wind.  The  hunters,  who  had  made  a  successful  war 
on  these  formidable  animals,  had  left  them  to  dry  in 
the  sun,  in  order  afterwards  to  offer  them  to  the  gentry 
of  the  country."  Having  passed  Luxor  and  proceed- 
ing towards  Emeh,  Mr.  Combes  remarks  that, — 

**  Since  we  left  Djirjeh,  when  the  weather  was  calm 
and  the  sun  hot,  the  numerous  sand-banks  scattered 

B 


242  CROCODILES  AND  CAYMANS. 

about  in  the  river  were  covered  with  crocodiles.  If 
the  boats  approached  them,  they  would  move  into  the 
water  slowly,  and  allowing  sufficient  time  to  observe 
them  leisurely.  At  length,"  he  writes,  ^-when  we 
reached  Upper  Nubia,  the  Nile  was  sprinkled  with 
small  islands  covered  with  pelicans ;  on  some  we  per- 
ceived monstrous  crocodiles  asleep,  and  which  awoke 
at  our  approach.  Often,  in  the  midst  of  the  river,  we 
saw  the  heads  of  these  formidable  amphibia,  which 
would  disappear  under  the  waves  after  inhaling  a  little 
air." 

We  have  said  enough  to  prove  to  our  readers,  and 
those  hunters  whose  courage  is  but  ill  satisfied  with 
the  perilless  exploits  accomplished  in  the  suburbs  of 
our  cities,  that  for  many  a  year  to  come  game  will  not 
be  wanting  for  those  who  will  undertake  the  enterprise 
of  purging  the  earth  of  those  monsters  which  defile 
and  oppress  it. 


III. — Habits. 


Crocodiles  live  on  land  and  in  the  water,  with  a 
decided  preference  for  the  latter.  They  swim  with 
extreme  rapidity,  aided  by  their  powerful  compressed 
tail.  Nevertheless,  all  are  not  equally  aquatic.  The 
caymans   are   less   so  than   the   others.     The   gavials 


HABITS.  243 

are  the  most  aquatic,  a  fact  which  could  only  be  dis- 
covered by  an  ins^Dection  of  the  hind-legs.  In  the 
gavial,  the  toes  of  the  hind-feet  are  webbed  to  the  tip, 
and  these  feet  are  denticulated  the  whole  length  of  the 
external  side :  they  are  evidently  intended  to  perform 
the  functions  of  fins;  whereas  with  the  caymans,  not 
only  does  this  denticulation  not  exist,  but  the  toes  are 
only  webbed  half  their  length. 

Eivers  which  overflow,  and  whose  shores  are  covered 
with  mud,  marshy  lakes,  sw^ampy  savannahs — these 
are  their  favourite  haunts.  It  is  said  that  the  gavial 
sometimes  quits  the  waters  of  the  Ganges,  and  will 
venture  almost  into  the  sea. 

All  are  carnivorous  and  extremely  voracious.  Living- 
stone says  that  they  generally  seek  their  prey  at- night ; 
Du  Chaillu  reports  that  they  do  so  in  the  morning 
and  evening;  but  the  upshot  shows  clearly  that  the 
crocodilian  appetite  is  equally  good  at  all  hours  of  day 
or  night. 

Hidden  amongst  the  aquatic  plants  or  squatting  in 
the  mud,  at  other  times  motionless  on  the  surface  of 
the  water,  or  floating  silently,  like  the  trunks  of  trees, 
stranded  on  the  mud,  or  carried  on  by  the  current,  they 
aw^ait  patiently  their  prey,  or  they  go  to  meet  it  with 
their  jaws  extended,  their  eyes  sweeping  the  liquid 
expanse  and  its  muddy  shores.  *'  One  does  not  see 
the  slightest  motion,'*  says  Plumier.  **  We  perceive  that 

R  2 


244  CROCODILES  AND  CAYMANS. 

it  lias  changed  its  place,  but  in  a  manner  almost 
imperceptible,  so  quiet  are  its  movements ;  it  might 
then  be  taken  for  a  piece  of  floating  wood,  and  I  have 
many  times  been  so  deceived."  This  comparison  has 
presented  itself  to  the  minds  of  Adanson,  of  La  Con- 
damine,  and  of  all  travellers  who  have  seen  crocodiles 
in  their  wild  state.  Their  colour,  their  elongated  form, 
their  immobility,  the  silence  which  they  keep,  deceive 
their  victims.  Fish  constitute  their  ordinary  diet; 
as  extras  they  occasionally  add  any  of  the  animals 
which  come  to  repose  on  the  water,  or  to  quench  their 
thirst  on  its  shores. 

When  the  saurian  perceives  its  prey  it  dives,  and 
proceeds  under  the  water  towards  it,  and  seizing  it  by 
the  legs  or  the  muzzle,  drags  it  down  to  the  bottom 
of  the  water.  To  use  the  words  of  the  missionary  just 
quoted,  "the  unsuspecting  game  allows  itself  to  be 
approached  so  near  that  it  is  snapped  up  before  it  has 
time  to  spread  its  wings  for  flight."  Large  cattle  are 
not  safe  from  their  voracity.  "  It  very  rarely  hap- 
pens," says  Livingstone,  *Hhat  a  herd  of  cows  crosses 
the  Liambye  without  some  of  the  young  becoming  the 
prey  of  the  monster."  M.  du  Chaillu  witnessed  the 
following  scene: — As  we  were  paddling  along  I  per- 
ceived in  the  distance  ahead  a  beautiful  gazelle  looking 
meditatively  into  the  waters  of  the  lagoon,  of  which 
from  time  to  time  it  took  a  drink.     I  stood  up  to  get  a 


HABITS.  245 

shot,  and  we  approached  with  the  utmost  silence,  but 
just  as  I  raised  my  gun  to  fire  a  crocodile  leaped 
out  of  the  water,  and  like  a  flash  dived  back  again 
with  the  struggling  animal  in  his  powerful  jaws.  So 
quickly  did  the  beast  take  his  prey,  that  though  I  fired 
at  him  I  was  too  late.  I  do  not  think  my  bullet  hit 
him ;  if  it  did,  it  struck  some  impenetrable  part  of  his 
mail.  I  would  not  have  believed  that  this  huge  and 
unwieldy  animal  could  move  with  such  velocity;  but 
the  natives  told  me  that  the  deer  often  falls  a  prey  to 
the  crocodile.  Sometimes  he  even  catches  the  leopard, 
but  then  there  is  a  harder  battle  than  the  poor  little 
deer*  could  make.'' 

In  America  the  cayman  will  attack  the  jaguar,  which 
in  the  New  World  is  the  most  powerful  of  his  enemies  ; 
and  a  struggle  between  these  two  monsters  would  be  a 
stirring  spectacle  to  witness.  The  jaguar,  knowing  the 
vulnerable  place,  plunges  his  claws  into  the  eyes  of 
the  reptile  ;  the  latter  dives,  dragging  down  the  jaguar, 
which,  it  is  said,  allows  itself  to  be  drowned  rather 
than  let  go  its  hold. 

Crocodiles  do  not  generally  devour  large  animals 
until  they  have  drowned  them.  **  The  noise  they 
make  in  eating,"  says  Livingstone,  "when  once  heard, 
will  never  be  forgotten." 

'>'  "  Poor  little  deer ! "  says  the  hunter  who  was  prexmring  to 
kill  liim !    Talk  of  crocodiles*  tears  after  that ! 


246  CROCODILES  AND  CAYMANS. 

Their  activity  abates  during  the  hottest  hours  of  the 
day.  They  then  retire  amongst  the  reeds  or  extend 
themselves  on  the  sand  or  in  the  mud.  La  Condamine 
reports  that  they  have  been  seen  sunning  themselves 
on  the  banks  of  the  Guayaquil  and  the  Amazon  for 
whole  days.  M.  Tremaux,  being  in  Ethiopia,  above 
the  cataract  of  Senadaoui,  had  the  opportunity  of 
examining  at  leisure  a  crocodile  which  was  thus 
taking  his  siesta  extended  on  the  river-bank.  *'  Pro- 
fiting by  his  immobility,  I  had  approached  him,"  he 
says,  *' under  cover  of  a  clump  of  trees.  When  my 
curiosity  was  satisfied,  I  walked  straight  up  .  to  the 
animal,  which,  without  disturbing  itself,  slightly  raised 
its  great  head  and  appeared  scarcely  to  notice  me.  I 
was  not  a  little  surprised  to  see  at  the  bottom  of  the 
slope  in  the  bed  of  the  river,  and  close  to  the  ferocious 
beast,  two  donkeys  feeding  peaceably  and  quite  undis- 
turbed by  his  proximity.  The  crocodile,  which  until 
that  moment  had  seemed  to  me  not  larger  than  a  man, 
then  showed  his  real  size  by  offering  me  a  point  of 
comparison  :  he  was  from  eighteen  to  twenty  feet  long. 
Some  minutes  afterwards  the  enormous  beast  slowly 
glided  into  the  water,  lifting  one  leg  after  the  other  in 
a  torpid  manner;  but  no  sooner  had  he  reached  his 
favourite  element  than,  with  a  powerful  stroke  of  his 
tail,  he  disappeared  like  a  dart." 

It  is,  in  fact,  only  in  tjiis  element  that  they  enjoy 


HABITS.  247 

the  full  liberty  of  movement ;  but  it  lias  been  more 
than  once  shown  that,  at  least  in  certain  seasons 
and  in  certain  countries,  crocodiles  (although  less 
active  on  the  land  than  in  the  water)  are  still  capa- 
ble of  moving  very  quickly  on  level  ground,  but  in 
a  straight  line  only,  for  the  short  ribs  of  the  neck 
touching  each  other  prevent  these  animals  from 
turning  easily.  Hence  there  is  one  chance  of  safety 
for  those  whom  they  pursue.  This  knowledge  was 
made  use  of  by  an  Englishman,  who,  having  at  his 
heels  a  monstrous  crocodile,  wdiich  had  sprung  from 
the  lake  of  Nicaragua,  was  nearly  caught,  when  the 
Spaniards  who  were  with  him  shouted  to  him  to 
quit  the  direct  path  and  to  run  in  zigzag.  He  fol- 
lowed this  counsel,  and  found  it  valuable. 

It  rarely  happens,  according  to  Livingstone,  that 
the  crocodile  comes  out  of  the  water  to  seek  food. 
On  one  occasion,  nevertheless,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Zouga,  he  met  with  one  which,  although  still  small 
(about  three  feet  long),  made  a  dash  at  his  feet,  and 
compelled  him  to  fly  in  another  direction ;  but  the 
traveller  adds,  ''this  is  unusual,  for  I  never  heard 
of  a  similar  instance.'' 

These  examples,  however,  are  not   rare  elsewhere. 

.  The  Count  de  Forbin,  in  his  ''Voyage  a  Siam," reports 

that  the  crocodiles  sometimes  come  close  up  to  the 

houses    at    Bancok.     La    Condamine    tells    us   that 


248  CROCODILES  AND  CAYMANS. 

the  caymans  of  the  Amazon  enter  the  huts  of  the 
Indians ;  and  Lacepede  reports,  that  in  South  America, 
when  the  lakes  inhabited  by  caymans  become  dry, 
these  animals,  condemned  thenceforward  to  a  terres- 
trial life,  live  on  game  for  months  together. 

It  is  whilst  the  crocodile  is  on  land  that  that 
extraordinary  and  charming  scene,  related  by  Hero- 
dotus, occurs,  which  has  been  treated  as  a  fable  by 
moderns,  and  which  was  only  definitively  assigned  to 
science  when  Geoffrey  Saint  Hilaire  witnessed  it 
during  his  residence  in  Egypt. 

Whilst  the  crocodile  is  going  through  the  water, 
leeches  pass  into  its  gaping  mouth,  and  when  on 
land  ants  and  gnats  introduce  themselves  there. 
The  shortness  of  its  tongue  leaves  it  powerless 
against  these  enemies.  But  a  small  bird,  a  plover 
{Charadrkis  Mgyptus),  comes  to  its  aid.  The  monster 
opens  its  mouth,  the  bird  enters,  picks  the  animal's 
teeth  with  its  beak,  cleanses  the  gums,  palate,  and 
tongue,  and  having  performed  its  task  departs. 

*' The  crocodile,"  says  iElian,  *^  profiting  by  this 
service,  endures  the  operation  with  patience,  and 
remains  motionless,  so  that  the  plover  finds  a  good 
meal  in  the  leeches ;  and  the  crocodile,  rejoicing  in 
its  assistance,  thinks  that  he  recompenses  it  suffi- 
ciently in  allowing  it  to  depart  in  peace." 

In  the  Antilles  another  bird  (the  humming  great 


HABITS.  249 

renders  the  same  service  to  the  crocodiles  of  that 
place  as  the  plover  to  the  common  crocodile. 

Notwithstanding  their  voracity,  crocodiles  can  re- 
main for  several  months  without  food.  Brown,  in  his 
''Natural  History  of  Jamaica,"  reports  that  he  had 
satisfied  himself  on  this  point  by  tying  up  the 
muzzles  of  several  of  them  with  wire. 

Some  species  pass  a  part  of  the  year  in  a  lethargic 
sleep.  The  pike-muzzled  cayman,  which  inhabits 
South  America,  and  ascends  the  Mississippi  and  its 
affluents  as  far  as  the  32nd  degree,  buries  itself  in  the 
mud  as  soon  as  cold  weather  comes,  and  passes  the 
whole  winter  season  in  a  state  of  torpor.  The  rising  of 
the  temperature  in  South  America  produces  the  same 
effect  as  its  falling  in  North  America.  At  Cayenne 
and  Bahia,  in  the  half-dry  marshes,  troops  of  caymans 
buried  in  the  slime,  their  backs  only  visible,  await 
in  a  lethargic  state  the  return  of  the  rains.  Travellers 
say  that  some  caymans  dig  holes  on  the  margins  of 
the  marshes,  into  which  they  retire  to  sleep  the  long 
deep.  Pliny  writes,  that  crocodiles  pass  the  four 
months  of  winter  in  caverns.  This  w^as  perhaps  true 
of  the  crocodiles  inhabiting  the  Delta ;  now-a-days  the 
Nile  crocodiles  do  not  become  torpid. 

All  crocodiles  are  oviparous.  The  female  deposits 
her  eggs,  covered  with  an  elastic  calcareous  shell,  in 
holes,  which  it  digs  on  the  banks  of  rivers.     Living- 


250  CROCODILES  AND  CAYMANS, 

stone  one  day  made  his  fire  on  one  of  tliese  deserted 
nests,  which  was  strewed  all  over  with  the  broken 
shells.  This  nest  was  situated  about  six  yards  from 
the  river  Zouga,  with  w4iich  it  communicated  by  a 
broad  path.  This  traveller  has  seen  sixty  eggs  taken 
from  a  single  nest.  The  cayman  a  lunettes  of 
Cayenne,  and  the  common  crocodile  on  the  banks  of 
the  Nile,  deposit  a  similar  number  of  eggs;  the  latter 
lay  in  February,  the  others  in  April.  The  common 
crocodile  confines  itself  to  simply  burying  its  eggs 
in  the  sand ;  the  cayman  a  lunettes  deposits  them 
between  a  double  bed  of  leaves  and  straw.  These 
eggs  are  about  the  same  size  as  those  of  a  goose. 

They  do  not  sit  on  their  eggs,  although  Pliny  states 
the  contrary,  and  pretends  even  that  the  male  shares 
with  the  female  the  cares  of  incubation.  Solar  heat, 
and  in  certain  cases  that  which  results  from  the  fer- 
mentation of  vegetable  matter  massed  round  the  eggs, 
suffices  to  bring  them  to  perfection.  The  female  of 
the  common  crocodile  even  abandons  her  eggs  after 
she  has  buried  them ;  and  at  St.  Domingo  that  of  the 
taper-nosed  crocodile  does  the  same ;  but  the  female 
of  the  cayman  a  lunettes  (Guinea  and  Brazil)  w^atches 
over  hers.  *'  She  always  remains,"  says  M.  de  la  Borde, 
"  at  a  certain  distance  from  her  eggs,  which  she  defends 
with  fury,  should  any  one  attempt  to  touch  them." 

The  eggs  of  these  reptiles  have  indeed  great  need 


HABITS.  251 

of  protection,  for  they  have  many  enemies.  In  Egypt 
the  mangouste,  in  America  apes,  everywhere  water- 
fowls, and  in  some  places  men  destroy  an  immense 
number.  Livingstone  reports  that  the  Barotses  and 
the  Bayeyes,  tribes  of  Southern  Africa,  are  very  fond 
of  crocodiles'  eggs.  '*  They  eat  the  yolk,  rejecting  the 
white,  which  does  not  coagulate." 

'^  In  proportion  to  the  increase  of  the  population," 
•says  this  writer,  '^the  nests  of  these  odious  reptiles  will 
be  more  and  more  sought  after,  and  the  species  will 
become  less  numerous."     May  it  be  so  ! 

Lacepede  writes,  that  in  America  the  apes  break 
a  very  large  number  of  eggs,  not  merely  to  eat  them, 
but  in  some  measure  apparently  for  the  mere  fun  of 
the  thing. 

Even  with  the  species  which  abandon  their  eggs 
immediately  after  laying  them  the  cares  of  maternity 
are  not  always  con^fined  to  nidification.  When  instinct 
warns  it  that  its  eggs  are  about  to  be  hatched,  the 
female  of  the  taper-nosed  crocodile  returns  to  its  nest, 
unearths  its  brood,  and  conducts  the  young  ones  to 
the  water.  . 

Lacepede  denies  this,  but  he  is  wrong ;  the  same 
facts  occurred  in  the  countries  explored  by  Livingstone. 
The  negroes  even  told  the  latter  that  the  female  aids 
its  little  ones  in  coming  out  of  their  shells — assistance 


252  CROCODILES  AND  CAYMANS. 

which,  as  we  shall  see,  is  exceeded  by  those  of  the 
Blue  Nile. 

"  It  appeared  to  me,"  says  Livingstone,  "  quite 
needful  that  their  mother  should  come  to  their  assist- 
ance at  the  time  of  their  birth,  for  it  is  a  question  with 
them  not  merely  of  breaking  the  membrane  with  which 
the  shell  is  lined,  but  also  of  digging  them  out  of  a  bed 
covered  with  about  four  inches  of  earth." 

It  is  doubtless  this  last  circumstance  which  neces- 
sitates the  maternal  intervention. 

The  young  go  into  the  water  at  the  instant  of  their 
birth.  They  feed  on  insects  and  larvae  ;  but  voracious 
fishes  make  great  destruction  among  them,  and  it  is 
said  that  the  little  crocodiles  are  by  no  means  safe 
amongst  the  large  ones.  During  three  months  the 
female  of  the  taper-nosed  species  nourishes  and  protects 
its  young. 

Don  Kamon  Paez,  in  his  **  Travels  and  Adventures 
in  South  and  Central  America,"  says:  "Despite  their 
great  voracity,  the  mother  exhibits  some  degree  of  ten- 
derness towards  her  offspring.  Possessed,  in  this  case, 
of  an  instinct  almost  infallible,  she  returns  at  a  period 
when  incubation  is  completed,  and  assists  her  young  in 
extricating  themselves  from  the  shell.  Unlike  the  eggs 
of  birds,  crocodiles'  eggs  are  soft  and  pliable  as  those 
of  the  turtle,  yielding,  when  handled,  to  the  pressure  of 


HABITS.  253 

the  fingers,  yet  so  tough  that  it  is  difficult  to  break 
them,  and  in  appearance  resembling  white  parchment. 
At  the  very  moment  of  liberation  the  young  crocodiles 
display  their  savage  nature  in  a  wonderful  degree, 
biting  at  every  object  within  reach  ;  the  same  vicious 
propensity  is  also  exhibited  by  those  extricated  even 
before  the  completion  of  incubation.  I  was  once 
greatly  amused  in  watching  a  struggle  between  two 
caricaris  and  one  of  these  youngsters,  not  larger  than  a 
good-sized  lizard.  Each  time  the  birds  made  a  dash 
at  him,  this  little  saurian,  grunting  savagely,  darted 
forward  with  wide-open  jaws,  looking  for  all  the  world 
like  a  young  dragon.  During  ten  minutes  the 
struggle  continued  without  decided  advantage  on  either 
side,  when  one  of  the  assailants,  changing  his  tactics, 
suddenly  seized  the  crocodile  by  the  neck  with  his 
sharp  claws,  and  soared  triumphantly  with  him  into 
high  air.  There,  loosing  his  hold,  the  bird  followed 
his  descent  with  wonderful  rapidity,  prepared,  when  he 
reached  the  ground,  to  repeat  the  blow ;  but,  already 
half  stunned,  the  victim  soon  yielded  to  superior 
cunning." 

Catesby,  in  his  **  Natural  History  of  Carolina," 
shows  us  young  crocodiles  seeking  refuge  against  the 
voracity  of  their  elder  brethren  in  the  thickest  parts  of 
the  marshy  forests. 


254  CKOCODILES  AXD  CAYMANS. 

"  These  aquatic  woods  are  filled  with  animals  which 
eat  each  other ;  half-devoured  carcases  are  seen  floating 
on  the  water."  Lying  in  ambush  on  the  banks  of  the 
lakes  and  rivers,  the  tiger  in  India  and  the  jaguar  in 
America  watch  the  moment  when  the  young  saurians 
approach  the  shore,  seize  them  with  their  powerful 
claws,  and  devour  them. 

Livingstone  relates,  that  on  arriving  one  evening 
on  the  banks  of  the  Libaye,  he  put  to  flight  two 
broods  of  crocodiles  ;  they  were  about  ten  inches 
in  length.  Their  bodies  were  marked  with  alternate 
brown  and  pale  green  bands  ;  their  eyes  were 
yellow.  When  speared,  they  bit  the  weapon  savagely, 
yelping  all  the  while  like  a  whelp  just  beginning 
to  bark. 

Added  to  the  testimony  of  Caillaud,  this  last  fact, 
reported  by  a  traveller  so  trustworthy  as  Livingstone, 
would  suffice  to  solve  the  controverted  question  as  to 
whether  crocodiles  have  a  voice.  Captain  Jobson 
(^^  Hist.  Gen.  des  Voy.")  assures  us  that  those  of  the 
river  Gambia,  called  humhos  by  the  negroes,  utter  cries 
which  appear  to  come  out  of  a  pit,  and  which  can  be 
heard  at  a  great  distance.  Catesby  reports  that  the 
caymans  of  Carolina,  on  coming  out  of  their  lethargic 
slumber,  make  horrible  roarings.  Bosc,  who  has 
visited  the  same  country,  says  that  the  caymans  make 


HABITS.  255 

in  the  evening  a  frightful  hubbub,  and  that  he  had 
frequent  opportunities  of  hearing  it.  M.  de  Courdi- 
niere,  in  his  '^  Observations  sur  le  Crocodile  de  laLoui- 
siane,"  and  M.  dela  Borde,  in  the  notes  already  quoted, 
make  analogous  depositions.  These  testimonies  can- 
not be  weakened  by  the  otherwise  undeniable  fact 
that,  during  a  residence  of  many  years  on  the  banks 
of  the  Orinoco,  Humboldt,  although  surrounded  every 
night  by  crocodiles,  never  heard  the  voice  of  these 
animals. 

Herodotus  has  stated,  with  truth,  that  of  all  the 
animals  which  come  out  of  an  egg,  the  crocodile  is  of 
the  largest  dimensions. 

The  common  crocodile  is  generally  from  eighteen  to 
twenty  feet  in  length,  but  they  have  been  seen  nearly 
forty  feet  long;  the  size  of  the  cayman  a  lunettes 
varies  from  twelve  to  fourteen  feet,  that  of  the,  taper- 
nosed  cayman  attains  the  same  length.  The  great 
gavial  of  the  Ganges  is  from  twenty-five  to  thirty 
feet  in  length,  and  is  said  sometimes  to  exceed  forty 
feet.  Their  growth  is  very  slow.  Aristotle  thought 
that  it  continued  during  the  whole  life  of  the  animal. 
It  is  now  thought  that  it  continues  for  twenty 
years.  Viscount  de  Fontange,  Commandant  of  the 
island  of  St.  Domingo,  kept  for  twenty-six  months 
some  crocodiles  which  he  had  seen   hatched.     Their 


256  CROCODILES   AND    CAYMANS. 

length  was  not  then  more  than  twenty  inches.  It 
is  asserted  that  crocodiles  live  for  a  hundred 
years. 

Now  let  us  see  the  crocodile  in  his  connection  with 
man.  On  this  important  point  authors  show  singular 
differences  ;  possibly  we  may  succeed  in  bringing  them 
into  accord. 


CHAPTER  XVn. 

ClWairilcS   (continued). 
IV. — ToucHiNa  THE  Ferocity  of  Crocodiles. 

Dampier  assumes  that  caymans  never  attack  man,  and 
that  they  never  make  victims,  except  amongst  those 
who  provoke  and  irritate  them.  It  has  frequently 
happened  to  him  to  drink  in  ponds  filled  with  these 
animals,  and  although  they  were  then  close  to  him, 
they  never  attempted  to  injure  him. 

M,  de  la  Borde  says,  that  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Cayenne,  the  negroes  sometimes  take  caymans  five  or 
six  feet  long,  tie  their  legs,  and  that  the  animals  suffer 
themselves  to  be  handled  and  carried  without  attempt- 
ing to  bite.  From  excess  of  prudence,  the  jaws  are 
sometimes  tied  up,  or  a  large  metal  plate  fixed  in  the 
mouth.  It  is  better  still  in  some  of  the  rivers  of 
St.  Domingo.  The  pursued  animal  hides  his  head  and 
a  part  of  his  body  in  a  hole.  A  slip-knot  is  fixed  to 
one  of  his  hind  feet,  and  many  negroes,  pulling  at  the 

s 


258  CROCODILES. 

rope,  draw  liim  about,  even  into  the  houses,  without 
his  exhibiting  any  desire  to  defend  himself. 

Bosc,  a  traveller  in  Carolina,  agrees  with  Dampier ; 
he  has  been  quite  close  to  caymans  without  their 
making  any  attempt  to  bite  him. 

Audubon  goes  farther,  and  says  that  these  animals 
are  so  gentle,  during  the  summer  and  autumn,  that  the 
people  get  on  their  backs  and  compel  them  to  carry 
them. 

So  much  for  caymans.  Now  let  us  turn  to  crocodiles. 
Corneille  de  Pengu,  in  his  '^Voyage  aux  Indes  Orien- 
tales,"  relates  that  a  crocodile  was  taken  sixteen  feet  and 
a  half  in  length,  and  six  feet  and  a  half  round,  which 
had  devoured  thirty-two  persons,  and  that  on  his  body 
being  opened,  a  human  skeleton  was  found  therein. 

Seba,  who  reproduced  that  story,  regards  it  as 
impossible ;  and  he  adds,  that  the  crocodile,  far  from 
devouring  man,  holds  him  in  such  fear  as  to  make 
his  escape  as  soon  as  he  sees  or  hears  him. 

Bosman  (**  Histoire  de  la  Guinee  Orientale  ")  agrees 
with  Seba.  '*  They  lie  in  the  sun,  on  the  banks  of 
rivers,  and  the  moment  they  perceive  a  man,  they  are 
so  frightened  that  they  precipitate  themselves  to  the 
bottom  of  the  water."  Bosman  has  never  heard  of 
these  animals  attacking  a  man,  or  even  a  beast. 

Thunberg  writes  :  "  The  presence  of  crocodiles  does 
not  prevent  the  natives  of  -Batavia,  as  well   as  the 


THE   FErwOCITY   OF   CROCODILES.  259 

slaves  of  both  sexes,  from  plunging  pell-mell,  once  or 
twice  a  day,  into  the  rivers  or  canals/' 

Forbin  relates  that  '^  the  crocodiles  sometimes  come 
close  up  to  the  houses  at  Bancok,  and  as  they  are 
very  timid,  they  are  easily  frightened  off  by  shouting 
or  firing  a  gun  at  them,  when  they  immediately  escape 
to  the  bottom  of  the  w^ater." 

The  same  kind  of  sport  which  Audubon  describes 
with  the  caymans,  is  practised  with  the  crocodiles  on 
the  river  Senegambia,  San  Domingo.  According  to 
M.  de  Brue  (^^Hist.  Gen.  des  Voyages  "),  not  only  do 
the  crocodiles  of  this  river  not  injure  any  one,  but  even 
*'the  children  can  play  with  them,  mount  their  backs, 
and  beat  them,  without  perceiving  any  signs  of  resent- 
ment." 

Pliny  remarks,  that  the  crocodile  flies  before  those 
who  pursue  it,  and  that  it  permits  itself  to  be  guided 
by  men  bold  enough  to  leap  on  its  back. 

A  contemporary  traveller,  Mr.  Combes,  writes  :  *'  The 
ferocity  of  the  crocodile  has  been  much  exaggerated. 
I  have  never  seen  a  boatman  hesitate  to  leap  into  the 
water  when  it  was  necessary.  At  almost  every  turn 
of  our  route  we  saw  them  up  to  their  waists  in  the 
water,  endeavouring  to  disengage  their  heavily  laden 
barges,  which  had  got  aground.  And  on  all  sides 
we  saw  children  coming  to  fill  their  pitchers,  or  to 
wash  themselves,  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile.'* 

s  2 


260  CBOCODILES. 

Let  us  not  forget  the  gavial.  His  reputation  was 
never  better  than  that  of  caymans  and  crocodiles. 
Modern  travellers  have  however  undertaken  to  re-estab- 
lish his  character.  According  to  these  travellers,  the 
gavial  never  attempts  to  attack  men  or  animals. 

We  have  heard  witnesses  for  the  defence :  let  us 
now  listen  to  others. 

La  Condamine  reports  that  the  crocodiles  of  the 
Amazon  seize  the  Indians  in  their  huts  and  in  their 
canoes. 

In  the  Grambo,  according  to  an  old  traveller,  Jobson, 
the  negroes  are  so  suspicious  of  crocodiles,  that  they 
will  not  venture  to  swim  or  wade  across  rivers  fre- 
quented by  these  animals. 

-We  read  in  the  '^Description  de  I'lle  Celebes  (Hist. 
Gen.  des  Voyages),'*  that  the  crocodiles  of  the  great 
Macassar  river  do  not  confine  themselves  to  making 
war  upon  the  fish,  but  -  that  they  sometimes  assemble 
in  troops  at  the  bottom  of  the  water  to  await  the 
passage  of  the  small  boats,  which  they  stop,  and  using 
their  tails  as  hooks,  upset  them,  and  then  seize  the 
men  and  animals  and  drag  them  into  their  retreat. 

Hasselquist  (*'Voy.  en  Palestine")  writes,  that  in 
Upper  Egypt,  crocodiles  very  frequently  devour  the 
women  who  come  to  carry  water  from  the  Nile,  and 
children  playing  on  its  banks. 

Geofiroy  Saint   Hilairo    reports    that    it  is  by  no 


THE  FEROCITY  OF  CROCODILES.         261 

means  rare  to  meet  with  Arabs  in  the  Thebaide,  some 
wanting  an  arm,  and  others  a  leg,  which  had  been 
carried  away  by  crocodiles. 

Listen  to  Livingstone  : — ''Every  year  many  victims 
are  made  amongst  the  children  wdio  have  the  impru- 
dence to  play  on  the  banks  of  the  Liambye,  when 
they  go  for  water.  The  crocodile  stuns  his  prey  with 
a  blow  of  his  tail,  and  drags  it  into  the  water,  where 
it  is  soon  drowned. 

''Fish  is  the  principal  food  of  both  small  and  large, 
and  they  are  much  assisted  in  catching  them  by 
their  broad  scaly  tails.  Sometimes  an  alligator, 
viewing  a  man  in  the  water  from  the  opposite  bank, 
rushes  acfoss  the  stream  with  wonderful  agility,  ^s 
is  seen  by  the  high  ripple  he  makes  on  the  surface, 
caused  by  his  rapid  motion  at  the  bottom ;  but  in 
general  they  act  by  stealth,  sinking  underneath  as 
soon  as  they  see  a  man.  A  wounded  antelope  chased 
into  any  of  the  lagoons  in  the  Barotse  valley,  or  a 
man  or  dog  going  in  for  the  purpose  of  bringing 
out  a  dead  one,  is  almost  sure  to  be  seized,  though 
the  alligators  may  not  appear  on  the  surface.  After 
dancing  long  in  the  moonlight  night,  young  men  run 
down  to  the  water  to  wash  off  the  dust,  and  cool 
themselves  before  going 'to  bed,  and  are  thus  often 
carried  away.  One  w^onders  they  are  not  afraid-; 
but  the  fact  is,  they  have  as  little  sense  of  danger 


262  CROCODILES. 

impending  over  them  as  the  hare  has  when  not 
actually  pursued  by  the  hound ;  and  in  many  ren- 
contres, in  which  they  escape,  they  had  not  time 
to  be  afraid,  and  only  laugh  at  the  circumstance 
afterwards :  there  is  a  want  of  calm  reflection.  In 
many  cases  not  referred  to  in  this  book,  I  feel  more 
horror  now  in  thinking  on  dangers  I  have  run,  than 
I  did  at  the  time  of  their  occurrence." 

He  goes  on  to  say,  *'  I  never  could  avoid  shudder- 
ing on  seeing  my  men  swimming  across  these 
branches,  after  one  of  them  had  been  caught  by  the 
thigh  and  taken  below ;  he,  however,  retained  his  full 
presence  of  mind,  and  having  a  small  square  ragged- 
edged  javelin  with  him  when  dragged  to  the  bottom, 
gave  the  alligator  a  stab  behind  the  shoulder.  The 
alligator,  writhing  in  pain,  left  him,  and  he  came 
out  with  the  deep  marks  of  the  reptile's  teeth  on 
his  thigh." 

We  have  seen  that,  according  to  Mr.  Combes, 
the  ferocity  of  the  crocodile  has  been  much  exag- 
gerated, and  he  has  shown  us,  in  fact,  the  bargemen 
going  into  the  water  up  to  their  middle,  and  children 
filling  their  pitchers  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile. 
**  Nevertheless,"  he  adds,  ''  accidents  are  rare,  and 
it  is  easy  to  understand  that  if  the  inhabitants  of 
Egypt  were  not  satisfied  by  long  experience,  they 
would    not    show   themselves    so    confiding.'*       This 


THE  FEROCITY  OF  CROCODILES.        263 

argument  would  appear  to  prove  little  after  what 
Livingstone  reports  of  the  improvidence  of  the 
riverains  of  the  Liambye ;  and  the  following  fact 
goes  to  show  the  same  carelessness  on  the  banks  of 
the  Nile,  at  the  same  time  that  it  exhibits  the  croco- 
dile at  his  work: — 

M.  Tremeaux  was  on  the  Nile,  in  the  eastern 
Soudan,  between  Senaar  and  Lony.  Several  men 
were  on  the  sand  hauling  the  boat,  when  they 
came  upon  a  hollow  filled  with  water  from  the 
river;  one  of  them  took  the  cord  in  his  mouth 
to  swim  across  the  hollow,  whilst  the  rest  went  r 
round  the  obstacle.  *'  Suddenly  I  heard  many 
voices  shouting,  '  He  is  seized  !  he  is  carried  off ! ' 
One  sailor  cried  out,  *  The  crocodile !  the  croco- 
dile ! '  a  third,  '  A  gun  !  bring  a  gun  !  '  Throwing 
aside  the  notes  which  I  was  writing,  I  seized  a  gun 
and  hurried  precipitately  from  the  cabin.  Looking 
to  that  point  of  the  river  to  which  all  eyes  were 
turned,  I  could  only  see  a  circle  of  undulations, 
like  that  which  is  caused  when  a  body  disappears 
beneath  the  water.  All  the  haulers  were  shouting, 
gesticulating,  and  advancing  cautiously  into  the  water, 
each  pressing  against  the  other,  no  one  daring  to 
detach  himself,  from  the  group.  The  doctor  ex- 
ended  his  hand  towards  my  gun.  *  We  must  make 
a  noise — fire !  *   said   he.     I  gave   him  the  gun,  and 


264  CROCODILES. 

seizing  a  pistol  which  I  had  at  my  belt,  we  fired. 
An  instant  afterwards  the  man  reappeared  on  the 
surface  of  the  water,  half  suffocated,  gesticulating 
painfully,  and  exhibiting  signs  of  frightful  anguish. 
The  wretch  was  but  a  few  yards  in  front  of  the 
haulers,  but  not  one  of  them  dared  to  advance  to 
his  assistance.  The  doctor  again  fired  a  shot  at 
hazard  into  the  water,  to  drive  away  the  monster. 
During  this  time  the  boat  was  rowed  quickly  towards 
the  poor  fellow,  and  we  threw  him  the  end  of  tho 
cord,  which  he  was  still  able  to  seize,  and  by  its 
aid  we  drew  him  on  board — one  of  his  legs  was 
crunched  ! 

'^  The  monstrous  amphibian,  deceived  by  the  float- 
ing ferclah  of  the  man,  had,  it  appeared,  first  seized 
him  by  the  foot,  which  he  raised  up,  then  seizing 
him  a  second  time  by  the  leg,  above  the  knee,  ho 
dragged  him  underneath  the  water.  It  was  then 
that  the  crocodile — who  is  as  cowardly  as  he  is 
ferocious — frightened  by  the  detonations  of  the  fire- 
arms, and  by  the  shouting  of  the  men,  had  let  go 
his  prey. 

''  The  wound  was  considerable ;  the  articulation  of 
the  knee  was  crushed ;  the  flesh  of  the  thick  part  of 
the  leg  ripped  open  for  a  great  length,  exposing  to 
sight  the  naked  bone.  The  teeth  of  the  monster  had 
left  deep  marks.     From  the  foot  to  the  middle  of  the 


THE  FEEOCITY  OF  CROCODILES.         265 

thigh  we  counted  seven  or  eight  on  each  side,  each 
of  which  was  sufficiently  open  to  receive  three  fingers. 
Others  were  united  by  the  same  rent.  A  single  blow 
of  the  powerful  jaws  of  the  crocodile  appeared  to  have 
produced  all  these  wounds." 

The  poor  fellow  was  carried  to  land,  and  remained 
extended  on  the  sand  in  the  sun,  whilst  a  man  went 
to  the  neighbouring  village  in  search  of  some  means 
of  transport.  Far  from  complaining,  '^It  was  writ- 
ten !  "  he  said,  and  he  thanked  God  for  having  saved 
his  life.     The  boat  continued  its  voyage. 

Near  there  the  traveller  saw  in  the  sand  the  remains 
of  a  crocodile  killed  by  the  natives,  who  were  re- 
proaching it  as  the  cause  of  the  death  of  many  of 
their  friends. 

For  many  hours  crocodiles  were  the  subject  of 
conversation  of  all  on  board.  *'  Some  of  our  men,  who 
were  from  Khartoum,  stated  that  the  approaches  to 
that  city  had  for  some  time  past  become  very  dangerous, 
and  that  many  people  had  perished  there.  The  croco- 
diles wander  near  the  places  where  the  people  come 
to  draw  water,  and  if  an  isolated  person  advances  too 
far  into  the  river,  in  order  to  get  purer  water,  he  runs 
very  great  risk." 

Among  other  stories,  one  is  related  which  is  not 
without  analogy  with  that  of  the  crocodile  whose  fero- 
city Seba  denied  the  existence  of  entirely.     Here  it  is. 


266  CROCODILES. 

*^  Quite  recently  a  fine  tall  woman,  knowing  that  the 
principal  victims  of  the  carnivorous  monster  of  the 
Nile  were  women  and  children,  thought  probably  to 
awe  him  by  her  fine  and  imposing  deportment.  She 
walked  into  the  water  up  to  her  waist,  and  there,  whilst 
filling  her  leathern  bottle  v/ith  the  limpid  water,  she 
was  suddenly  upset  by  a  blow  from  the  tail  of  a 
crocodile  and  carried  away  immediately. 

'^This  event  brought  a  great  number  of  the  curious 
to  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  some  time  afterwards 
there  was  seen  floating  on  the  water  a  monstrous 
crocodile,  with  a  stomach  so  enormous  as  to  prevent 
it  remaining  constantly  under  the  water.  Then  boats 
v/ere  got  together,  and  they  attacked  it.  Th^  crocodile, 
in  that  state,  being  anything  but  active,  plunged,  then 
soon  reappeared  on  the  surface,  and  as  the  river  was 
now  studded  with  boats,  those  who  were  within  reach 
planted  their  lances  between  the  openings  of  his  scaly 
armour.  He  was  soon  killed,  and  they  dragged  him 
ashore,  and  quickly  opened  him.  The  animal,  by 
means  of  his  great  mouth,  which  opened  to  the 
shoulders,  had  swallowed  his  prey  whole,  and,  added 
the  narrators,  the  victim  of  this  monster  had  only  a 
few  bruises — her  wounds  were  so  trifling,  that  she 
must  have  died  of  suffocation  in  the  crocodile's  belly. 
They  hoped  even  to  see  her  come  to  life  again. 
With  the  exception   of  some   of   the   details,"   adds 


THE  FEROCITY  OP  CROCODILES.         267 

M.  Tremeaux,  "the  foundation  of  this  story  seemed 
to  me  to  be  true,  for  not  only  was  it  confirmed  by 
many  persons  on  our  boat,  but  I  heard  it  related  in 
terms  almost  identical  during  our  last  residence  at 
Khartoum." 

During  that  residence  the  author  witnessed  another 
catastrophe,  which  he  reports  in  the  following 
terms : — 

"From  the  window  of  the  house  where  we  were 
installed,  on  the  quay,  I  was  occupied  in  observing 
the  movement  of  the  animated  scene  in  the  harbour. 
A  little  negro,  twelve  years  of  age,  had  been  bought  at 
Kagane  by  our  maitre  cV hotel.  This  young  boy  was 
standing  on  the  edge  of  our  boat.  A  kind  of  hand- 
kerchief of  coloured  cotton  had  just  been  given  to 
him  by  his  master.  Delighted  with  such  a  treasure, 
after  examining  it  minutely,  the  child  shook  it  in 
the  air.  This  movement,  which  attracted  my  attention, 
awoke  probably  also  that  of  a  crocodile,  for  the  little 
gargon  having  let  fall  his  handkerchief  into  the  water, 
immediately  jumped  in  to  regain  it,  and  never 
reappeared.  The  water  was  suddenly  agitated,  then 
a  series  of  undulations,  which  could  be  seen  towards 
the  middle  of  the  river,  were  for  me  the  only  percep- 
tible traces  of  his  being  carried  away  by  the  crocodile. 
The  sailors  who  were  on  the  boat,  said  that  they  had 


268  CROCODILES. 

seen  the  animal  nedr  there,  and  they  recognized  on  the 
other  shore,  where  he  had  gone  at  once,  the  agitation 
produced  hy  his  efforts  in  swallowing  his  prey." 

I  must  remark,  nevertheless,  that  crocodiles  are 
said  not  to  be  able  to  swallow  in  the  water,  and  it 
is  so  stated  by  Mr.  Milne  Edwards  in  his  '^  Elements 
of  Zoology." 

M.  Tremeaux  relates  stiil,  as  an  eye-witness,  an 
accident  which  was  comic,  but  which  might  easily 
have  turned  out  serious. 

'^  It  was  near  Cliendy,  on  our  return.  One  of  the 
Eussians,  a  servant  of  Colonel  Kovalwski,  was  sitting 
on  a  bank  by  the  river,  his  legs  dangling  in  the  water ; 
he  was  engaged  in  washing  his  feet.  All  at  once 
he  was  seen  cutting  a  caper  backwards,  as  if  he  had 
been  suddenly  hurled  by  a  powerful  shock.  He  had 
described  a  complete  somersault,  and  found  himself 
sitting  on  the  ground  pretty  far  back.  The  crocodile 
had  prowled  up  cunningly,  and  by  slow  movements, 
in  front  of  him.  On  suddenly  perceiving  him,  the  man 
had  not  had  time  to  retire.  A  powerful  blow  Avith 
his  tail,  by  which  the  monster  had  endeavoured 
to  throw  him  into  the  water,  succeeded  only  in  causing 
him  to  describe  i\iQ  lyirouettc  we  saw." 

Let  us  now  return  to  Mr.  Combes,  according  to  vv^hom 
the  ferocity  of  the  crocodile  has  been  much  exaggo- 


THE  FEROCITY  OF  CROCODILES.         269 

rated.  This  opinion  appears  to  agree  badly  with  the 
sentiments  he  expresses  in  the  interesting  story  we 
are  about  to  quote. 

It  was  in  the  desert  of  Wady  Haifa  (Lower 
Nubia).  Our  traveller  was  proceeding  to  Dongolah. 
It  was  near  the  end  of  the  month  Kamadan.  In 
the  caravan  was  a  Turkish  merchant,  who  wished 
to  procure  a  sheep,  or  at  least  a  goat,  at  any 
price,  which  he  would  have  carried  on  one  of  his 
camels,  in  order  to  offer  it  up  as  a  sacrifice  at  the 
moment  when  the  crescent  should  shine  forth  in  the  * 
skies.  *^But,'*  says  Mr.  Combes,  **  we  were  then  on 
the  desert  side  of  the  Nile,  and  it  would  have  been 
necessary  to  cross  over  to  the  opposite  shore  to  find 
any  living  animals. 

^'  The  Turk  went  up  and  down  the  river,  in  the 
hope  of  discovering  some  rafts;  he  shouted  to  the 
inhabitants  on  the  opposite  shore,  but  his  searching 
and  his  cries  were  vain.  He  then  resorted  to  the 
camel-drivers,  and  promised  them  a  recompense  if 
they  would  consent  to  swim  across  the  Nile,  and 
endeavour  to  bring  back  a  sheep  with  them.  Sobriety 
is  a  necessary  virtue  in  the  desert,  but  it  was  a 
question  of  celebrating  a  feast,  and  our  conductors, 
like  zealous  Mussulmans,  could  not  have  been  better 
pleased  than  to  be  able  to  comply  with  the  wishes 
of    the   pious    traveller.     Unhappily,   crocodiles    were 


270  CROCODILES. 

numerous  in  those  parts,  and  in  throwing  themselves 
into  the  river,  they  would  run  great  risk  of  being 
devoured  by.  these  terrible  animals.  This  was  re- 
marked to  the  Turkish  merchant,  but  he,  far  from 
being  touched  by  so  grave  a  consideration,  proposed 
a  still  higher  reward,  sufficient  to  tempt  the  cupidity 
of  the  camel- drivers.  In  spite  of  the  danger  which 
menaced  him,  one  of  them,  the  oldest,  suffered  him- 
self to  be  seduced.  He  took  off  his  clothes  and 
leaped  into  the  Nile,  uttering  loud  shouts.  He  was 
not  yet  two  lengths  from  the  shore,  when,  towards 
the  middle  of  the  river,  a  monstrous  crocodile 
elevated  his  hideous  head  above  the  w^ater,  and  then 
plunged  almost  immediately.  The  swimmer  had  not 
perceived  the  animal,  but  the  apparition  had  not 
escaped  the  anxious  looks  of  the  other  camel- drivers 
standing  upon  the  shore.  These  hastened  to  call 
to  their  companion,  signalling  the  imminence  of  his 
danger.  We  w^ere  all  in  a  state  of  the  most  cruel 
anxiety,  fearing  at  each  instant  to  see  the  rash 
fellow  become  the  prey  of  the  formidable  amphibian. 
But,  thank  God !  it  was  not  so ;  at  the  first  warning  ^ 
of  the  camel- drivers  the  swimmer  turned  round,  and 
it  was  with  the  most  vivid  satisfaction  that  I  saw 
him  regain  the  shore,  and  he  was  not  slow  in 
securing  his  safety.  He  was  received  jeeringly  by 
the    merchant,    who   perhaps    regretted   the    horrible 


THE  FEROCITY  OF  CKOCODILES.         271 

spectacle  which  the  appearance  of  the  monster 
seemed  to  promise  us ;  but,  except  the  merchant,  all 
congratulated  the  Nubian  in  having  escaped  so  great 
a  peril.  The  crocodile  reappeared  several  times  on 
the  surface  of  the  river,  and  allowed  himself  to  float 
down  with  the  current." 

Later,  at  Khartoum,  Mr.  Combes  was  witness  of 
facts  which  served  to  convince  him  that  the  fears  he 
experienced  under  the  circumstances  we  are  going  to 
relate  were  by  no  means  without  cause ;  but  how 
can  one  reconcile  these  facts  with  the  opinions  ex- 
pressed by  him  on  the  nature  of  the  crocodile  ? 

'^  I  was  walking,"  says  he,  ''on  the  banks  of  the 
Blue  Nile,  whilst  many  persons  were  bathing  in  the 
river.  I  was  astonished  at  their  imprudence,  but  the 
swimmers,  assured  by  their  number  and  the  noise 
which  they  made,  did  not  seem  to  experience  the 
least  disquietude  ;  nevertheless,  at  the  moment  when 
they  least  expected  it,  I  heard  a  great  cry,  and  a  man 
disappeared.  The  other  swimmers,  seized  with  fright, 
regained  the  shore  with  precipitation,  and  threw  into 
the  river  whatever  they  could  put  their  hands  on, 
redoubling  their  clamour.  We  were  in  a  state  of  mortal 
anxiety,  seeking  on  all  sides  traces  of  the  man  who 
had  disappeared.  On  looking  attentively,  we  discovered 
a  slight  furrow,  which  cut  the  river  crosswise,  and 
after  a  moment  of  cruel  suspense,  we  saw  an  immense 


272  CROCODILES. 

crocodile  emerge  on  the  opposite  shore,  holding  in 
his  blood-stained  mouth  the  unfortunate  swimmer, 
who  no  longer  exhibited  any  sign  of  life.  At  this 
sight  the  companions  of  the  victim  uttered  terrible 
cries,  in  the  hope  of  compelling  the  monster  to 
abandon  his  prey ;  but  the  crocodile  squatted  down  on 
the  desert  shore,  and,  scarcely  sensible  of  this  tumult, 
was  grinding  between  his  teeth  the  body  extended 
before  him.  Some  guns  had  been  hastily  procured, 
which  were  discharged  at  the*  ferocious  beast;  and 
whether  they  had  any  effect,  or  the  monster,  frightened 
by  this  brisk  detonation,  wished  to  shelter  himself 
from  a  new  attack,  he  plunged  into  the  river,  carrying 
with  him  the  remains  of  his  victim  in  the  presence 
of  a  numerous  crowd,  which  had  run  together  from 
all  parts,  and  which  followed  in  breathless  consterna- 
tion the  different  phases  of  this  exciting  and  terrible 
drama.  We  remained  still  for  some  time  on  the 
banks  of  the  river,  but  the  crocodile  did  not  reappear, 
and  we  retired  in  silence." 

We  have  already  seen  Mr.  Combes'  argument  against 
the  ferocity  of  the  crocodile,  in  the  facts  he  mentions 
of  the  sailors  not  fearing  to  go  into  the  Nile,  and  the 
women  and  children  taking  water  and  washing  therein. 
What  shall  we  think  of  this  argument  when  we  shall 
presently  see  our  traveller  himself,  his  mind  still 
filled  with  the  catastrophe  which  we  have  just  related, 


THE  FEROCITY  OF  CROCODILES.         273 

going  into  the  Nile   for  the    pleasure  of    swimming? 
He  says  : — 

'*  Some  days  after  this  cruel  event,  I  myself  bathed 
in  the  Nile,  with  the  doctor  of  Khartoum,  his  slaves, 
and  some  Turks  who  had  joined  us.  We  had  chosen 
a  safe  place,  or  at  all  events  one  so  reputed,  and  in 
which  it  was  asserted  crocodiles  had  never  shown 
themselves ;  besides,  we  had  sufficient  prudence  not 
to  go  far  into  the  river,  in  order,  on  the  least  alarm, 
to  regain  the  shore  promptly ;  and,  notwithstanding 
the  assurances  which  had  been  given  us,  the  slaves 
threw  stones  all  round  us,  and  kept  up  a  continual 
noise,  to  avert  all  danger.  We  had  hoped,  thanks  to 
these  precautions,  that  we  were  safe  from  any  surprise: 
unhappily,  it  was  not  so.  One  of  our  companions, 
having  had  the  temerity  to  advance  into  the  middle 
of  the  stream,  was  seized  by  a  crocodile,  at  the  very 
moment  when  he  was  swimming  towards  us  to  regain 
the  shore.  He  immediately  uttered  a  heartrending 
cry,  extending  his  arms  in  every  direction.  Notwith- 
standing the  peril  w^hich  menaced  us,  we  rushed 
towards  him  just  in  time  to  seize  hold  of  him,  and 
to  contend  with  the  monster,  which  w^as  just  on  the 
point  of  dragging  him  under.  A  severe  struggle 
ensued,  and  we  thought  for  an  instant  that  we  had 
come  off  with  a  brilliant  victory.  We  had  brought 
our  companion   fainting  to  the  shore,  but  a  trail  of 

T 


274  CROCODILES. 

blood  Wiiicli  lie  left  behind  him  began  to  frighten 
us,  and  after  having  got  him  quite  out  of  the  water,  we 
were  thunderstruck  to  perceive  that  the  crocodile  had 
smashed  his  thigh,  and  had  very  nearly  succeeded  in 
severing  that  member  from  the  trunk.  The  doctor 
sent  his  black  slaves  to  the  hospital,  from  which  they 
soon  returned  with  a  hand-barrow,  on  which  the 
wounded  man,  still  in  a  swoon,  was  placed.  We  had 
him  transported  to  his  dwelling,  whither  we  followed 
him,  overwhelmed  with  sorrow.  Notwithstanding  the 
most  attentive  care,  the  poor  fellow  died  three  days 
afterwards,  a  prey  to  the  most  poignant  suffering.'' 

I  have  done,  as  they  say  at  the  court,  the  cause 
is  heard.  Enough  has  been  said  to  form  an  opinion 
on  the  crocodilian  family.  Before  concluding,  how- 
ever, one  last  fact  remains  to  be  established,  which 
will  be  the  object  of  the  following  chapter. 


V. — On  the  Possibility  of  Educating  Crocodiles. 

The  crocodiles  brought  up  in  the  temples  of  Egypt 
allowed  themselves  to  be  approached  and  handled. 
They  were  adorned  with  bracelets  and  ear-pendants, 
and,  thus  decked  off,  they  discreetly  took  their  place  in 
the  relif^ious  ceremonies.     The  abundant  nourishment 


THE    POSSIBILITY   OF   EDUCATING    CROCODILES.       275 

which  they  received  as  divinities  explains  this  man- 
suetude  and  familiarity.  They  willingly  permitted 
those  to  open  their  teeth  whose  intention  they  knew 
was  to  fill  their  mouths. 

Aristotle  says  that  the  want  of  food  alone  renders 
crocodiles  very  dangerous;  and  what  he  has  said  of 
crocodiles  is  true  of  the  whole  crocodilian  race  ;  there 
is  nothing  ferocious  in  them  but  their  appetite.  For 
the  rest,  except  man,  I  know  of  no  animal  (I  am 
speaking  of  the  superior  animals,  about  which  we  know 
a  little)  that  sheds  blood  merely  for  the  pleasure  of 
shedding  it ;  and  the  tiger  himself,  in  spite  of  his 
wicked  reputation,  is  no  exception  to  this  rule. 

Aristotle  says  again,  that  it  is  an  easy  matter  to 
tame  crocodiles,  and  to  do  that  it  is  only  necessary  to 
feed  them  well.  Nothing  can  be  more  true,  and  it  is 
equally  true  of  all  members  of  the  family  we  are  dis- 
cussing. We  have  a  report  in  the  "  Histoire  Generale 
des  Voyages  "  (the  responsibility  for  the  truth  of  which 
we  leave  to  that  work),  that  on  the  shores  of  the  Eio 
San  Domingo,  in  Africa,  crocodiles  are  such  kind 
creatures  that  the  children,  who  are  there  badly  off  for 
toys,  use  the  backs  of  these  saurians  instead  of  tho 
wooden  horse,  which  is  not  known  in  that  country. 
This  playful  humour  on  the  part  of  the  crocodiles  is  to 
be  attributed  to  the  fact  that,  owing  to  their  generous 
nourishment  by  their  fellow-citizens  the  negroes,  they 

T  2 


27G  CROCODILES. 

have   yet   to   learn   what   is   meant   by   pinchmg  the 
stomach. 

There  was  at  Pompeii,  in  the  Temple  of  Isis,  a  paint- 
ing showing  an  analogous  scene  to  this  which  is  every 
day  enacted  on  the  banks  of  the  San  Domingo.  Chil- 
dren are  there  represented  playing  with  crocodiles. 
Doubtless  it  was  wished  to  symbolize  the  confidence 
felt  in  these  animals,  which,  being  the  objects  of 
worship,  found  a  table  always  ready  served  for  them 
in  the  temples.  Imperial  Eome  saw  crocodiles  led 
within  its  walls  by  inhabitants  of  Tentyre  (modern 
Denderah),  playing  innocently  with  their  guardians. 

In  some  of  the  primitive  countries  visited  by  Cook, 
tame  crocodiles  lived  in  the  family  with  their  savage 
masters.  M.  de  la  Borde  reported  to  Lacepede  that,  at 
Cayenne,  the  caymans,  fed  from  the  superabundance  of 
a  good  kitchen,  carried  their  love  of  peace  to  such  an 
extent  as  to  leave  in  safety  the  turtles  placed  in  the 
basin  where  they  took  their  sports.  It  is  said  that,  at 
Boutan,  in  the  Moluccas  (Spice  Islands),  they  are  used 
as  domestic  animals  and  fattened  for  the  table,  and 
that  in  proportion  as  they  become  plump,  they  become 
as  inoffensive  as  poodles.  At  Seba,  on  the  slave  coast 
of  Africa,  the  king  of  the  place  keeps  in  his  gardens 
two  tanks  filled,  not  as  they  are  in  the  basins  of  the 
Tuileries,  with  gold  fish,  but  with  crocodiles, — which 
is  not  so  vulgar. 


THE    POSSIBILITY    OF    EDUCATING    CROCODILES.       277 

This  negro  king,  although  a  barbarian,  has  the 
same  tastes  as  some  of  these  ancient  masters  of  the 
civilized  world,  whose  fortunes  were  founded  by  the 
great  man  that  bore  the  name  of  Caesar ;  he  is  likewise 
on  an  equal  footing  with  the  divine  Heliogabalus,  who 
also  kept  and  fed  crocodiles,  confirming  the  adage, 
*' birds  of  a  feather  flock  together."* 

All  this  goes  to  prove  that  the  crocodilians  are  not 
mere  machines,  that  they  can  remember,  and  regulate 
themselves  according  to  circumstances,  and  can  show 
themselves  very  different  at  different  times  and  r.t 
different  places. 

But  the  change  is  never  so  great  as  to  render  un- 
recognizable the  portrait,  sufficiently  true,  which  ^lian 
has  traced  of  the  crocodilian  species  whilst  painting 
only  that  of  the  crocodile. 

The  Greek  author  thus  expresses  himself: — **  The 
crocodile,  naturally  timid,  wicked,  knavish,  and  very 
cunning,  displays  much  quickness  and  subtlety 
whether  it  be  in  carrying  off  a  prey,  or  in  laying  a 


*  Scaurus,  the  edile,  was  the  first  Roman  who  exhibited  cro- 
codiles to  the  people.  He  showed  five.  This  magnificence  was 
far  surpassed  afterwards  by  Augustus,  Antoninus,  and  by  the 
above-named  brilliant  Emperor.  Clement  Augustus  carried 
the  luxury  so  far  as  to  bring  together  into  the  circus  of  Flami- 
nius,  expressly  filled  with  water,  no  less  than  thirty- six  crocodiles, 
on  which  he  let  loose  a  proper  number  of  combatants — unless  it 
were  better  to  say  the  crocodiles  were  let  loose  upon  the  men. 


278  CROCODILES. 

snare  for  it.  He  trembles  at  every  noise,  but  he  fears, 
above  all,  the  loud  shouts  of  man.  In  spite  of  his 
strength,  a  bold  attack  strikes  him  with  terror,  &c. 

This  granted,  if  we  add,  or  rather  if  we  recollect, 
that  the  water  is  the  true  element  of  the  crocodile,  we 
shall  have,  I  think,  all  that  is  needful  to  bring  into 
accord  the  apparently  contradictory  statements  of  the 
travellers  and  naturalists  whose  opinions  have  been 
reported  in  the  preceding  chapter. 


VI. — All  are  Agreed. 

First  of  all,  w^e  must  put  the  gavial  aside  altogether. 
It  aj)pears  certain  that  he  has  been  defamed  by  those 
who  have  made  a  cannibal  of  him.  It  is  sufficient  to 
see  his  slender  snout  to  be  convinced  that  he  could 
never  take  such  a  prey  as  man.  All  modern  travellers 
are  in  opposition  to  their  predecessors  on  this  point, 
and  assure  us  that  they  respect  man,  and  have  a  like 
regard  for  large  animals.  But,  in  acquitting  the  gavial, 
they  charge  the  crocodile.  This  is  the  one  which  is 
the  author  of  the  misdeeds  attributed  to  the  gavial. 

iElian  had  already  remarked  that  in  the  Ganges  there 
are  two  kinds  of  crocodiles,  the  one  gentle  and  innocent, 
the  other  cruel.  This  remark  is  correct.  The  inno- 
cent crocodiles  are  the  gavials  ;  the  cruel  belong  to  ono 
or  other  of  two  species,  one  of  which  is  the  crocodile 


ALL   ARE   AGREED.  279 

a  deux  aretes,  t!ie  other  the  crocodile  of  the  marshes, 
both  of  which  inhabit  the  Ganges. 

The  gavials  being  dismissed,  a  word  on  the  cay- 
mans. Undoubtedly  these  caxmot  be  absolutely  ac- 
quitted ;  but  it  has,  nevertheless,  been  agreed  to  regard 
them  as  much  less  dangerous  than  the  crocodiles. 

The  latter  have  now  principally  to  be  considered. 
Let  us  pass  on,  then,  to  the  crocodiles. 

Let  us  remark,  in  the  first  place,  that  there  are 
several  kinds  of  them.  We  should  be  certainly  de- 
ceived were  we  to  extend  to  the  entire  race  observa- 
tions made  on  such  and  such  a  species.  There  are 
degrees  in  everything.  One  species  might  be  very  dan- 
gerous to  man,  and  another  only  slightly.  Geoffroy 
Saint  Hilaire  thought  that  there  w^ere  two  species  of 
crocodiles  in  the  Nile — the  Vulgaris  and  the  Suchus  ; 
and  that  opinion,  after  having  been  contested  by 
naturalists,  has  now  been  adopted  by  them.  Now, 
according  to  Geoffroy  Saint  Hilaire,  the  SucJms  has 
a  much  more  friendly  disposition  than  the  common 
crocodile.  Travellers  who  blacken  the  characters  of 
the  crocodiles  of  the  great  river  of  Macassar,  and  the 
Sieur  de  Brue,  who  paint  couleur  de  rose  those  of  the 
Eio  San  Domingo,  make  no  pretence  of  describing  the 
whole  genus.  The  first,  on  the  contrary,  states  that 
*'  crocodiles  are  more  dangerous  in  the  Macassar  river 
than  in  the  other  great  rivers  of  the  East/' 


*280  CROCODILES. 

And  the  second  writes  :  '^  We  have  observed  with 
astonishment  in  the  river  of  San  Domingo,  that  the 
crocodiles,*  or  caymans,  which  are  generally  such 
terrible  animals,  are  here  quite  harmless."  And 
Livingstone,  referring  to  those  of  the  Liambye, 
remarks  that  '^  they  commit  more  excesses  than  those 
of  any  other  rivers." 

Before  accusing  travellers  of  contradicting  each 
other  on  the  subject  of  crocodiles,  it  is  necessary  to 
know  if  their  descriptions  apply  to  the  same  or  to 
different  species.  But  that  is  not  all,  and  the  most 
opposite  statements  might  be  equally  correct,  even 
when  applied  to  individuals  of  the  same  species.  We 
will  go  farther,  and  say  even  when  applied  to  the  same 
individual. 

One  can  conceive,  in  fact,  that  a  traveller  would 
form  a  totally  different  idea  of  a  species  according 
to  whether  he  found  himself  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
a  crocodile  famished  or  satiated. 

It  is  said  that  at  certain  times  of  the  year  the 
males  of  the  taper-nosed  crocodiles  give  themselves  up 
to  most  desperate  combats.  I  imagine  that  it  would 
be  more  disadvantageous  to  encounter  them  at  those 
periods  than  at  others.     And  the  same  may  be  said 


*  Crocodile  is  the  proper  term.    America  has  the  monopoly 
of  caymans. 


ALL    ARE    AGREED.  281 

of  the  female  of  that  species,  which  takes  such  good 
care  of  her  eggs,  and  watches  her  young  with  so  much 
solicitude;  she  might  exhibit  quite  a  different  dispo- 
sition when  she  has  her  progeny  to  nourish  and  pro- 
tect, than  before  she  has  known  or  after  she  has 
passed  the  cares  of  maternity. 

There  is  also  a  difference  between  encountering  a 
crocodile  on  land  and  in  the  water  ;  still,  no  general 
rule  can  be  established  in  either  of  these  two  cases. 

We  have  seen,  in  the  statements  of  MM.  Combes 
and  Tremeaux,  great  crocodiles  extended  in  the  sun, 
on  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  gliding  into  the  river  on 
the  approach  of  man.  On  the  other  hand,  we 
must  recall  that  young  crocodile  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  Liambye  which  put  Livingstone 
to  flight.  Females  leading  their  newly  hatched 
young  to  the  river,  and  the  crocodiles  which,  in 
South  America,  the  drying  up  of  the  lakes  condemns 
for  several  months  to  lead  the  life  of  a  terrestrial 
animal,  might  be  more  dangerous  on  land  at  those 
times  than  when  they  have  only  come  to  enjoy  their 
siesta.  Whence  it  follows  that,  according  to  species, 
place,  and  season,  the  man  who  finds  himself  on  the 
path  of  a  crocodile,  out  of  his  ordinary  element, 
runs  a  variety  of  chances ;  and  it  is  the  same  if 
the  encounter  takes  place  in  the  water. 

After  the   accident  which   happened   to  the  unfor- 


282  CROCODILES. 

tunate  hauler  who  had  his  thigh  hroken,  the  sailors 
told  M.  Tremeanx  that  ''the  crocodile,  when  he  is  on 
land,  never  attacks  man,  and  that  he  always  flies 
at  his  approach  to  throw  himself  into  the  river, 
which  is  his  favourite  element." 

We  have  just  seen  that,  if  that  is  always  true  od 
the  banks  of  the  Nile,  it  is  not  invariably  the  same 
elsewhere.  They  added  that,  ''  even  in  that  elelnent 
(the  w^ater)  he  does  not  always  attack  man ; "  and 
that  is  correct. 

In  fact,  the  crocodile  can  be  rendered  inoffensive 
by  two  methods,  either  by  teaching  him  to  fear  man, 
or  by  teaching  him  to  love  him;  if,  indeed,  the 
crocodile  is  susceptible  of  affection  for  any  living 
being  but  those  of  his  own  family. 

But  why  not  ?  He  knows  how  to  appreciate  the 
services  which  the  plover  renders  him,  and  shows 
his  recognition  thereof  in  the  crocodilian  fashion, 
by  not  rendering  evil  for  good.  "Why  should  not 
repeated  kindnesses  inspire  him  with  the  same  toler- 
ance towards  man  ?  That  it  should  be  so  with 
captive  crocodiles  is  a  thing  neither  doubtful  nor 
extraordinary ;  where  the  difficulty  begins,  we  agree, 
is  when  it  becomes  a  question  of  explaining  by  the 
same  cause  the  presumed  meekness  of  crocodiles  en- 
joying the  fall  liberty  of  the  waves.  We  have  seen, 
nevertheless,    that    the    traveller    De    Brue    explains 


ALL   AEE   AGREED.  283 

the  sweet  temper  of  those  of  Eio  San  Domingo 
by  *Hhe  care  which  the  inhabitants  take  to  feed 
them  and  treat  them  wxlL"  I  confess  that  this 
explanation  does  not  satisfy  me,  and  that  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  Eio  appear  to  me  to  turn  in  a  vicious 
circle.  It  seems  that  the  feeding  and  care  which 
they  lavish  on  the  crocodile,  by  tending  to  the 
multiplication  of  the  species,  would  have  as  its  result 
to  give  birth  to  a  number  of  empty,  and  there- 
fore dangerous,  stomachs.  For  this  reason,  I 
regard  as  much  safer  the  other  method,  which 
consists  in  inspiring  the  crocodile  with  a  wholesome 
terror.  Its  very  nature  suggests  this  treatment, 
and  the  effect  is  unfailing.  This  great  animal 
is  by  no  means  courageous  in  proportion  to  its 
size. 

iElian  says  that  it  dreads  the  loud  shouts  of  man. 
Of  this  we  have  had  more  than  one  proof  in  the 
anecdotes  already  reported. 

After  mentioning  the  accident  to  the  hauler,  M. 
Tremeaux  adds  :  *^  Our  men  continued,  nevertheless, 
to  throw  themselves  into  the  water,  when  the  neces- 
sity arose,  as  if  nothing  had  happened;  to  our 
observations  they  replied  that  there  w^as  no  danger 
so  long  as  they  kept  close  to  the  boats,  or  when 
men   remained  in   groups   in   the  w^ater/*      That   is 


284  CROCODILES. 

to  say,  there  is  no  danger  when  the  waters  are 
splashed  and  a  noise  is  made.  This  is  explained 
by  the  cowardice  of  the  crocodile,  which  by  no 
means  invalidates  the  fact  of  its  voracity. 

If  gunshots,  shouts,  and  stones  cast  into  the  water 
can  intimidate  the  crocodile,  put  him  to  flight,  and 
make  him  abandon  the  prey  which  he  has  already 
seized,  surely  a  serious  war  made  upon  him  would  have 
the  effect  of  curing  him  of  his  desire  for  mischief. 

The  Tentyrites  arrived  at  this  result.  "  The 
hunters,"  says^lian,  *'make  such  a  furious  war 
upon  them,  that  the  river,  cleared  of  this  brigand, 
flows  through  the  country  in  profound  peace ;  and 
the  riverains  trust  themselves  with  safety  to  swim 
in  its  waters,  and  much  enjoy  the  exercise.'* 

In  lieu  of  cramming  the  crocodiles,  as  the  people  of 
San  Domingo  do,  or  hunting  them  like  the  Tentyrites, 
man  sometimes  carries  his  folly  even  to  the  extent 
of  regarding  crocodiles  as  gods,  and  esteems  himself 
honoured  in  being  swallowed  by  them  ;  and  these  beasts 
will  never  refuse  to  accord  him  that  distinction.  At 
Ombros,  Coptos,  and  Arsinoe,  where  this  superstition 
flourished,  ''one  could  not  with  any  comfort  wash  one's 
feet  in  the  river,  draw  water,  or  even  walk  on  the 
banks,  without  being  always  on  the  look-out." 

Wherever  man  has  neglected,  or  has  not  had  occa- 


ALL    ARE"  AGREED.  285 

sion  to  make  his  power  felt,  the  crocodile  has  made 
frequent  victims ;  and  La  Condamine  thinks  that  the 
boldness  of  those  of  the  Amazon  arises  from  their 
being  so  little  hunted. 

There  is  still  another  and  last  distinction  to  be 
made  between  crocodiles,  viz.,  those  which  have  already 
eaten  a  man,  and  those  which  are  not  yet  •  ac- 
quainted with  his  flavour.  Those  which  have  once 
eaten  a  man  form  a  taste  that  way,  and  become 
excessively  dangerous.  The  misfortune  and  shame  of 
our  race  is,  that  in  many  places  men  devote  themselves 
to  giving  to  the  crocodile  an  appetite  for  man. 

It  was  told  M.  Tremeaux  that,  in  certain  places 
inhabited  by  crocodiles,  accidents  never  happened. 
But  if  the  monstrous  amphibian,  by  any  chance,  has 
tasted  human  flesh,  the  place  from  that  time  becomes 
dangerous ;  for  not  only  has  this  animal  acquired  the 
taste,  and  lies  in  wait  for  his  prey,  but  sometimes 
others  share  it  with  him,  and  thus  become  terrible 
to  man.  Thus  it  is  always  by  the  same  animal  or  at 
most  by  two  or  three  that  certain  spots  of  the  river 
are  rendered  formidable. 

Mr.  Combes,  having  reported  the  sad  events  of  which 
he  had  been  witness,  adds,  ''An  inhabitant  of  Khar- 
toum, whom  I  had  asked  if  such  accidents  frequently 
occurred,  assured   me  that   before   the   arrival  of  the 


286  CROCODILES. 

Egyptian  troops,  that  is  to  say,  before  the  horrors 
committed  by  the  defterdah,^  the  crocodiles  showed 
but  little  taste  for  human  flesh,  but  since  the  drown- 
ings ordered  by  Mehemet  Bey,  said  the  man  whom 
I  interrogated,  since  the  Nile  has  borne  the  corpses 
of  my  brethren,  the  monsters  which  inhabit  it  have 
become  accustomed  to  a  substantial  food,  which  they 
scarcely  knew  before,  and  now  we  are  exposed  to 
imminent  danger  from  swimming  in  the  river,  or  even 
from  bathing  on  its  shores.'* 

This  defterdah,  or  governor  of  Soudan,  more  fero- 
cious, says  Mr.  Combes,  than  the  tigers  and  lions  with 
which  he  loved  to  surround  himself,  made  sport  of 
the  lives  of  his  fellow-men.  To  cut  off  the  ears  of  the 
conquered,  and  to  burn  out  their  eyes  with  a  red-hot 
iron,  were  his  recreations.  Empalement  was  in  con- 
stant operation,  and  the  negroes  were  thrown  to  the 
crocodiles  in  the  Nile.  There  was  only  wanting  to  this 
atrocious  man  the  means  of  exercising  his  power  on 
a  wider  field  to  have  nothing  to  envy  in  the  celebrity 
of  the  most  famous  successors  of  CaBsar.  Mehemet  AH 
recalled  him  at  last,  but  the  crocodiles  had  formed 
habits  which  they  could  not  lose  in  a  day,  and  which. 


*  Mehemet  Bey  is  here  referred  to  ;  he  had  been  governor  of 
the  Soudan  some  time  before  the  journey  of  Mr.  Combes. 


ALL   ARE    AGEEED.  287 

thanks  to  the  jcllahs,  or  slave-mercliants,  tliey  have 
probably  preserved  to  the  present  day.  A  projjos  of 
this  is  one  of  the  scenes  related  by  the  traveller  V'O 
are  going  to  quote.  It  was  in  Upper  Nubia.  Mr, 
Combes,  coming  from  Khartoum  and  descending  the 
Nile,  had  taken  his  place  on  board  a  boat  chartered 
by  some  jellabs,  the  cargo  being  chiefly  composed  of 
slaves.     Let  the  witness  relate  these  horrors  : — • 

**  A  great  misfortune  had  just  fallen  upon  the  slaves, 
already  wretched  enough ;  small-pox  had  broken  out  on 
board,  and  each  day  made  some  victims.  We  were 
always  crowded  one  upon  another,  and  in  this  cruel 
position  the  malady  spread  with  fearful  rapidity.  The 
jellabs,  powerless  to  arrest  the  progress  of  the  plague, 
were  compelled  to  appear  resigned,  and  every  time  that 
death  snatched  from  them  a  slave,  they  threw  him  into 
the  Nile,  repeating  scntentiously  the  words  *  Miss 
Allah /^ — It  is  the  will  of  God.  The  sick  expired  and 
became  cold  in  the  midst  of  their  terrified  companions ; 
their  masters,  under  the  rule  of  the  most  senseless 
fatalism,  made  no  effort  to  overcome  the  terrible  effects 
of  the  contagion.  They  stopped  less  frequently  than 
usual;  the  dying  rested  their  heads  on  the  knees  of  those 
who  were  yet  in  good  health,  and  these  unfortunates, 
who  were  being  suffocated  by  the  fever,  and  who  required 
to  breathe  free  and  pure  air,  passed  the  great  part  of  the 
day,  and  even  of  the  night,  in  the  midst  of  deleterious 


288  CROCODILES. 

miasmas  and  the  most  baneful  exhalations.  Their  dead 
bodies,  thrown  into  the  Nile,  served  to  feed  the  crocodiles, 
and  these  famished  monsters  followed  our  boat  ready  to 
seize  the  new  prey,  for  which  they  had  not  long  to 
wait.'*     This,  however,  is  nothing  to  what  follows  : — 

*^  The  disease  had  thrived  vigorously  for  many  days, 
and  exhibited  no  signs  of  dying  out.  The  jellabs, 
whose  disheartening  impassibility  had  already  revolted 
me,  now  sometimes  showed  their  ferocity.  When  the 
sick  were  in  a  desperate  state,  they  did  not  wait  for 
their  last  breath,  but  threw  them  into  the  river,  where 
the  crocodiles  devoured  them  alive.  One  cannot  form 
an  idea  of  the  sombre  grief  of  the  slaves  at  sight  of 
such  horrors.  I  was  myself  a  prey  to  inexpressible 
agitation ;  and,  overcome  by  my  indignation,  I  loaded 
the  merchants  with  reproaches,  which  did  not  appear 
to  have  any  effect  on  them.  In  their  cold-blooded  bar- 
barity they  could  not  comprehend  my  anger ;  and 
wLen  I  threatened  to  denounce  their  unworthy  conduct 
to  the  local  authorities,  they  replied  carelessly,  that 
they  were  doubtless  at  liberty  to  do  as  they  liked  with 
their  own  property," 

After  such  abominations,  one  sees  the  need  that  the 
rights  of  humanity  should  be  protected  with  an  ener- 
getic hand. 

Mr.  Combes  had  a  black  servant  named  Hassan,  a 
very  good  fellow,  but  unable  to  comprehend  the  gene- 


ALL   ARE    AGREED.  289 

rous  fits  of  anger  of  his  master.  **A11  Europeans/' 
he  said  to  me  one  day,  just  after  I  had  been  reprimand- 
ing the  jellabs  (who  never  bore  me  any  malice),  ''take 
a  lively  interest  in  the  slaves.  Some  years  ago  I  was 
in  the  service  of  an  Englishman  who  w^as  visiting  the 
antiquities  of  Egypt  and  of  the  country  of  the  Bara- 
brahs.  Between  the  first  and  second  cataract  we  met 
a  boat  laden  wdth  slaves,  whom  the  small-pox  was  deci- 
mating, as  in  this  instance.  The  English  traveller 
wished  to  see  them  more  closely,  and  he  offered  a  sum 
of  money  to  the  jellab  to  allow  him  to  embark  with 
him.  The  malady  was  maJdng  fearful  ravages;  the 
slaves  were  closely  packed  together,  and  no  time  w^as 
lost  in  throwing  the  dead  bodies,  still  warm,  into  the 
river  to  make  room  for  the  living.  The  want  of  space 
contributed  to  augment  the  evil.  Then  when  they  had. 
satisfied  themselves  that  a  man  w^as  mortally  attacked, 
he  was  got  rid  of  at  once.  One  case  of  this  kind  having 
presented  itself  a  little  time  after  the  embarkation  of 
my  master,  the  sufferer  w^as  thrown  into  the  river ;  and, 
doubtless  roused  by  the  coolness  of  the  w^ater,  he  uttered 
a  feeble  cry,  extending  his  arms  towards  us,  but  he 
disappeared  almost  immediately.  The  Englishman, 
instead  of  remonstrating  with  the  jellab,  threw  himself 
suddenly  upon  him,  and  pitched  him,  astoundeed  as  he 
was,  into  the  Nile.  This  iellab  was  a  powerful  swim- 
mer, and  he  soon  reappeared  on  the  surface  of  the  river 

u 


290  CROCODILES. 

and  made  for  tlie  boat ;  but  the  traveller,  far  from  being 
disconcerted,  took  np  liis  double-barrelled  gun,  and  told 
the  swimmer  that  if  he  dared  to  ai3proach  he  would 
blow  his  brains  out,  and  send  him  to  rejoin  the  wretched 
slave.  The  frightened  merchant  remained  for  a  mo- 
ment undecided,  and  seeing  the  cool  and  determined 
air  of  the  Englishman,  he  thought  it  prudent  to  gain 
the  shore  and  to  follow  the  boat  on  foot,  in  the  hope 
that  the  terrible  traveller  would  soon  show  himself 
more  reasonable.  He  rejoined  us  at  the  station.  The 
Englishman  had  grown  caim,  and  returned  into  his 
own  boat,  which  was  macie  fast  to  that  of  the  jellab. 
He  pretended  not  to  pay  any  attention  to  the  arrival  of 
the  merchant ;  but  on  the  following  day,  when  he  was 
on  the  point  of  starting,  he  w^ent  into  his  boat,  and  told 
him  that  he  was  going  to  sail  alongside  of  him  until 
they  reached  Cairo,  and  that  if  he  did  not  treat  his 
slaves  with  more  humanity  he  should  take  upon  himself 
to  revenge  them.  We  set  sail  the  same  time  as  the 
jellab,  and  followed  him  up  to  Cairo.  In  spite  of  tho 
irritation  and  anger  of  their  master,  the  slaves  enjoyed 
some  repose,  and,  thanks  to  the  rough  but  energetic 
intervention  of  the  English  traveller,  none  but  dead 
bodies  w^ere  afterwards  thrown  to  the  crocodiles.'* 

Enough  of  this  :  let  us  now  see  man  in  his  character 
as  the  destroyer  of  monsters. 


CROCODILES.  291 

VII. 

Notwithstanding  liis  thick  and  hard  covering,  the 
crocodile  is  not  invuhierable ;  that  armour  has  its 
defects ;  the  weak  points  are  the  eyes,  the  throat,  the 
joints  of  the  fore-legs,  and  the  belly,  and  with  a  well- 
aimed  shot  the  hunter  can  soon  finish  him. 

One  of  the  three  jellabs  with  whom  Mr.  Combes  was 
travelling  was  an  excellent  shot,  and  with  a  common 
matchlock  he  had  already  brought  down  two  pelicans, 
with  which  the  slaves  were  regaling  themselves. 
Nevertheless,  he  had  several  times  exercised  his.  skill 
in  vain  against  the  crocodiles  dozing  on  the  islands  or 
floating  on  the  streaipi ;  his  balls  glided  off  the  scales 
of  the  saurians  almost  without  disturbing  them.  At 
length,  a  short  distance  above  Carari,  he  was  more 
fortunate.  The  wind,  which  the  night  before  was 
contrary,  had  now  fallen,  and  the  Nile  flowed  gently 
towards  the  sea.  *^  On  the  middle  of  its  smooth  surface 
we  had  seen,"  says  Mr.  Combes,  *^  for  some  minutes  an 
enormous  crocodile  rising  at  intervals  above  the  water, 
his  head  constantly  turned  towards  us,  as  if  he  had 
been  swimming  backwards.  The  jellab  who  was  posted 
in  the  prow  of  the  boat  watched  him  attentively,  and 
after  having  followed  and  studied  his  movements,  ho 
aimed  rapidly  at  the  moment  he  showed  himself  and 
fired  :  the  animal  made  a  somersault  and  disappeared 

u  2 


292  CBOCODILES. 

under  tlie  waves,  leaving  large  traces  of  blood  on  the 
water.  Our  boat,  carried  along  by  the  current,  soon 
passed  the  spot  where  the  crocodile  had  been  struck, 
and  we  discovered  near  the  shore  fresh  traces  of  blood. 
The  pilot  turned  the  prow  towards  land,  and  after 
sailing  for  half  an  hour  along  the  shore,  we  saw  the 
monster  extended  on  the  bank  and  expiring.  We 
landed  immediately  and  hauled  him  on  board.'' 

The  negroes  in  the  country  watered  by  the  Anengue 
hunt  the  crocodile  vigorously,  sometimes  with  the 
gun,  but  more  frequently  with  a  kind  of  harpoon : 
they  aim  near  the  joints  of  the  fore-legs. 

It  will  be  recollected,  that  when  Du  Chaillu  entered 
this  river  the  crocodiles  were  iv)t  in  the  least  afraid. 
The  traveller  manoeuvred  his  boat  so  as  to  isolate 
the  largest  of  the  troop,  and  lodged  a  ball  in  his 
body  in  the  place  wo  have  just  indicated.  The  animal 
turned  over  heavily,  and  after  beating  the  water  for  a 
few  instants,  he  sank  into  the  mud.  The  others  turned 
their  stupid  eyes  towards  him  for  a  moment,  and 
then  resumed  their  torpor.  The  hunter  shot  a  second, 
which  buried  itself  in  the  mud  like  the  preceding. 
They  did  not  take  away  either  one  or  the  other,  as  the 
men  did  not  care  to  go  to  seek  them  in  the  black 
mud. 

Some  days  afterwards  M.  du  Chaillu  took  part  in 
a  groat  crocodile  hunt.     They  went   in  canoes   of  a 


CROCODILES.  293 

very  singular  construction,  quite  flat-bottomed,  of  very 
light  draught,  about  fifty  feet  long,  and  not  more  than 
two  broad.  The  oarsmen  stand  up  and  handle  these 
boats  very  ably.  Thus  equipped,  they  went  into  the 
very  midst  of  the  crocodiles.  Some  were  swimming, 
others  basking  in  the  sun  on  the  mud-banks.  They 
took  no  notice  whatever  of  the  boat.  M.  du  Chaillu 
killed  two,  one  eighteen  feet  long,  the  other  twenty. 

There  are  in  Egypt  some  people  bold  enough  to 
swim  underneath  a  crocodile,  and  stab  him  in  the 
belly  with  a  poniard ;  and  the  negroes  of  the  Senegal 
do  the  same.  '*  One  Lapot,  of  Fort  St.  Louis, 
amused  himself  in  this  way  almost  every  day,  and 
for  a  long  time  was  very  successful,  as  we  read  in  the 
*  Voyage  of  De  Brue  ; '  but  he  at  length  received  such 
wounds  in  one  of  these  combats,  that  had  he  not 
been  assisted  by  his  companions,  he  would  have  lost 
his  life  in  the  jaws  of  the  monster.** 

At  other  times,  in  the  same  country,  the  negroes 
surprise  the  crocodile  in  places  where  there  is  not 
sufficient  water  left  for  him  to  swim  in,  and  attack 
him  with  a  lance,  the  left  arm  being  protected  by  a 
shield  of  ox-hide.  They  thrust  the  lance  into  the 
eyes  and  throat,  placing  the  left  arm  in  his  mouth, 
preventing  him  from  closing  it,  and  holding  it  open 
until  the  animal  is  suffocated,  or  until  he  expires 
under  their  blows. 


294  CROCODILES. 

On  land  they  kill  them  more  easily  still,  as  may  be 
judged  of  by  the  following  relation  of  Adanson  : — 

''  One  of  my  negroes,"  he  writes,  **  killed  a  crocodile 
seven  feet  long.  He  had  found  him  asleep  in  some 
bushes  at  the  foot  of  a  tree,  on  the  bank  of  a  river; 
lie  approaclied  him  gently,  not  to  wake  him,  and  very 
adroitly  stabbed  him  with  a  knife  in  the  side  of  the 
neck.  Just  bolow  the  bones  of  the  head  and  ear,  and 
pierced  him  almost  through  and  through.  The  animal, 
wounded  to  death,  drew  himself  up  painfully  and 
struck  the  negroes  legs  with  his  tail  so  violently,  that 
it  felled  him  to  the  earth.  But  this  one,  without 
loosing  his  hold,  rose  ins-^antly,  and  in  order  to  have 
nothing  to  fear  from  the  wounded  mouth  of  the 
animal,  he  enveloped  it  in  a  pair  of  cotton  drawers, 
whilst  his  comrade  held  the  tail.  Tlie  negi-o  then  with- 
drew his  knife  and  separated  the  head  from  the  trunk." 

*'In  Egypt, *^  says  Lacepede,  *' they  dig  deep  holes 
on  the  paths  of  this  inordinate  brute,  which  they  cover 
over  with  the  branches  of  trees.  Tliey  are  aftenvards 
a -oased  by  the  cries  of  the  crocodile,  which,  taking 
on  its  return  to  the  river  the  same  route  which  it  had 
followed  in  wandering  from  its  banks,  passes  over  the 
pit,  fidls  into  it,  and  is  at  once  beaten  to  death  or 
taken  in  nets.  Others  attach  one  end  of  a  strong  cord 
to  a  tree ;  on  the  other  end  they  fix  a  hook  and  a  lamb, 
whose  cries  attract  the    crocodile,  which,  in   carrying 


GBOCODILES.  295 

off  the  choice  halt,  swallows  the  hook  also.  The  more 
he  struggles  the  fai'ther  the  hoo'c  penetrates  the  flc3h. 
They  follow  all  his  m3vein3nts,  slackening  the  cord, 
and  wait  till  he  is  dead  to  draw  him  up  from  the 
bottom  of  the  water." 

This  latter  pro3e3ding  is  the  same  as  that  which 
is  employed  by  the  negroes  of  Carolina,  against  the 
caymans,  except  that  they  attach  the  bait  and  the  hook 
to  a  tree  by  an  iron  chain. 

The  negroes  of  Florida  join  together  to  the  number 
of  ten  or  twelve,  take  a  large  stake,  and  seizing  the 
moment  when  the  saurian  is  on  the  land,  they  go  in 
front  of  the  beast,  and  force  the  stake  into  his  mouth, 
after  which  it  is  not  difficult  to  finish  him.  Thunberg 
also  reports  that  the  Javanese  use  baits  for  the  purpose 
of  taldiig  him.  *'They  attach  a  wooden  hook  to  the 
end  of  a  cord  slightly  twisted,  and  bait  it  with  a  piece 
of  carrion.  No  sooner  has  the  crocodile  swallowed 
this  bait,  than  he  struggles  uselessly  to  cut  the  cord. 
It  gets  between  his  teeth.  Besides,  the  hook  which 
he  has  in  his  throat  prevents  him  from  closing  his 
mouth,  and  the  hunters,  well  armed,  soon  put  him  to 
death." 

Lastly,  the  Siamese  take  the  crocodile  by  two 
methods,  which  the  Count  de  Forbin  describes  in  these 
terms : — **  For  the  first  they  take  a  live  duck,  and 
under  it  they  attach  a  piece  of  wood  about  six  inches 


296  CROCODILES. 

long,  proportionately  thick,  and  pointed  at  both  ends* 
To  this  piece  of  wood  they  tie  a  fine  but  very  strong 
cord,  to  which  are  attached  pieces  of  bamboo,  which 
serve  for  floats.  They  then  put  the  duck  in  the  middle 
of  the  river,  and  the  bird,  finding  itself  embarrassed  by 
the  piece  of  wood,  struggles  to  get  rid  of  it.  The  cro- 
codile seeing  it,  dives  into  the  water,  attempts  to  takp 
it  from  below,  and  seizes  instead  the  piece  of  wood, 
which  s'acks  crosswise  in  its  throat.  As  soon  as  they 
perceive  tha^  he  is  taken,  which  is  seen  by  the  shaking 
of  the  cord  and  the  agitation  of  the  bamboo,  the  signal 
is  given,  and  the  animal  is  drawn  to  the  top  of  the 
water  in  spite  of  the  efforts  he  makes  to  get  free. 
When  he  appears,  the  fishermen  dart  their  harpoons 
into  him.  These  are  a  kind  of  dart,  the  iron  point  of 
which  is  shaped  like  an  arrow,  attached  to  a  handle 
about  five  feet  long.  To  the  iron  part,  which  is 
pierced'  in  the  socket,  is  attached  a  very  fine  cord, 
twisted  round  the  stick,  which  detaches  itself  from  the 
iron,  and  which,  floating  on  the  water,  indicates  the 
spot  where  the  animal  is.  "When  they  have  planted  a 
sufficient  number  of  harpoons  in  his  body,  they  drag 
him  ashore  and  dispatch  him  with  their  hatchets. 

*'  There  is  a  second  method  of  taking  them.  These 
animals  sometimes  come  close  up  to  the  dwellings. 
As  they  are  very  timid,  there  is  an  endeavour  to  prevent 
them  by  making  a  noise,  either  by  shouting  or  firing 


CROCODILES.  297 

guns.  The  affrighted  crococlile  flies  for  safety  towards  the 
water.  At  once  the  river  is  covered  with  boats,  which 
wait  to  see  him  come  up  to  respire,  for  he  cannot  re- 
main below  longer  than  half  an  hour  without  taking 
breath.  As  he  rises  he  opens  his  great  mouth,  and 
then  from  all  sides  harpoons  are  launched  at  him.  If  he 
receives  any  in  his  mouth  (and  the  Siamese  are  very 
adroit)  he  is  taken.  The  handle  of  the  harpoon  which 
floats,  serves  as  a  signal.  He  who  holds  the  cord 
knows  when  the  animal  quits  the  bottom,  and  wa  ns 
the  fishermen,  who  do  not  fail,  the  moment  he  re- 
appears, to  launch  more  harpoons  at  him.  When  he 
has  received  a  sufficient  number  to  be  dragged  to  land, 
they  haul  him  in  and  cut  him  to  pieces.  This  second 
mode  of  fishing  is  more  amusing  than  the  first.** 


THE  END. 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.00  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


■  ■./->-!       nr-     -('.Oi 

IK  1        ,<? ^:»     >  ■>''■■ 

Or.T  t^o  i9:.h 

NOV  6     1342 

VB  10275 


\ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


jIi 


;^V 


'•A  Am.      AAKv;    ..ni*-^  V-- -^ili'^nP; 

'vMWMS^m^m 

MmtmmmMki 

M^[ 


'^ilS/V 


%% 


